Any RV monkeys here?

[okmunky]

Hi Y'all,

I'm Barb and I share my life with Sena, a 14 year old capuchin monkey. We fly to Chicago on the 14th to pickup our new motorhome. The plan is to travel full-time as soon as I can wrap up details at my job as a live-in personal assistant/house manager, hopefully by mid-May.

Are there any other RVing monks out there?

Happy Travels,
Barb & Sena

[JMonroe]

Hey, welcome to IRV2.

Our motto, no photos, doesn't exist!

How long have you had the monkey? That's sure to be a conversation starter, at any campground.

[John H...]

Welcome and congrats on getting your new MH. I wouldn't think there are many people with Monkeys, and even fewer with MH's. Should be an interesting thread to follow. Good luck. Attach some pics of Sena...

[WOODYDEL]

First I read this information and was intrigued, especially about the 46 year life span:

Capuchin Monkey Facts　

Then remembering a capuchin monkey episode in the TV show "Malcolm in the Middle" I then read this:

Malcolm in the Middle: Monkey Episode Summary on TV.com　


In that "Malcolm in the Middle" episode, that monkey didn't look like something you wanted running around the house if you got on its bad side.

Sounds scary and how do you know where you can go with this exotic animal?

They are banned in a great number of states even in homes/motorhomes.

Luckily the ban in Illinois is only pending where I looked it up out of curiosity.

Pet monkey laws, regulations of primates, capuchin monkey United States laws, federal rules on primate ownership


GOOD LUCK in your travels.

[okmunky]

Hi guys,

Sena will be 14 years old on 4/17. She came into my life when she was 2 months old and has been second only to my human daughter -- now 35 -- in my heart.

I will admit that raising a monkey has been the hardest and most rewarding adventure of my life. When someone says "I want a monkey" I quickly reply, "NO you don't". They are VERY high maintence creatures. They are outstanding companions IF. and only if you have a lifestyle that can accomodate their extensive needs. Basically, it's like having a permanent 2 year old. I delight in watching her child-like exploration of the world around her. Everyday is a new adventure.

She loves and respects me as her alpha. She's gentle and minds well -- if I'm watching. She loves to meet new people, but only if they approach calmly. In the jungle if something is paying too much attention to you, the motive is dinner. Monkeys are hard-wired with jungle instinct and even tho she understands much of what we say, no human words can override that jungle
instinct.

RVing is really the only way to travel long term with a monkey. Flying is
difficult, hotels are a huge hassel. Sena has traveled more than most monkeys as she is my registered service animal. She is trained to help save my
arthritic knees and damaged back from taking extra steps. She has hands that can bring me objects from across the room or that dropped to the floor. She'll
also turn on and off lights, push buttons, help peel open stuck velcro diaper tabs, and at the drive-thru window she takes the straw out of the bag, strips off the paper and inserts the straw in the cup. Of course, she expects the first
sip! Her most important job is giving me a reason to get out of bed everyday
and greet the world. She's the best medicine ever, but not the cheapest and not the expense is not covered by insurance.

The down side is 8-10 diaper changes per day, her occasional screaming fit when told "NO", a short attention span, her messiness and inability to learn social graces. She will pick her nose and scratch wherever, whenever

Our biggest challenge is public ignorance. Raised with humans she has learned so much more than the wild or zoo monkey. She was born in Missouri and doesn't carry any wierd jungle disease. She won't fling poo, but she will try to steal from your pockets. She was raised knowing monkey teeth are never allowed on human skin -- and has broken skin only on another capuchin. But he deserved it! Animal Rights radicals love to spread fear about the evils of privately owned monkeys. But these are the same people who picketed CBS when the first "Survivor" series showed contestants eating rats. I only hope that Sena will be judged as an individual. She lives a life that many humans envy.

Ok, probably too much information. I need to find a website to host her photos that will take them from the ipad --- irv2 is not Mac compatible and I'm still in the technology novice category.

I will be cautious where we travel. Several states are taboo for us. We have met many monkey people thru internet groups and plan to meet them face to face. I'm looking forward to great adventures and making new friends a we RV across the US. Maybe we'll run into you, too.

Barb & Sena

[Dixieray53]

[QUOTE=JMonroe;804346]Hey, welcome to IRV2.

Our motto, no photos, doesn't exist!

We are with J.... . No photo..No monkey...and pics. from a book don't count ...We're waiting Peace...D

[okmunky]

Such doubters you are! I understand, tho. I've encountered folks that aren't genuine online before.

I managed to get 1 pic on my member profile, but the good pics are in my email folder. I'll keep trying to get them posted here.

[okmunky]

http://xa.yimg.com/kq/groups/181498/.../sena+cone.jpg

The same pic I posted in yahoo. Link above

[okmunky]

Can't upload pics in my email folder. All my email all goes thru server at work and it won't let other computers thu their firewall. Anyone want to volunteer to have me email pics to you and let you post them?

My email -- barbara.parker@publicstrategies.com

Barb

[JMonroe]

Barb, Just drag your email photos out to your desktop, or into another folder. You can attach them from there.

[Cruzer]

Wow, I almost forgot about that episode in my life.

Back in 1971 I bought a Squirrel Monkey at an alligator farm in Florida while on vacation right after I got out of high school. I brought him home in an orange crate and when my mother saw me carrying the crate out of my car she asked what it was. I told her it was oranges. She said "it has eyes". well it didn't take long for this guy to wind his way into everyone's heart. We built him a nice cage and fed him Purina Monkey Chow (I kid you not - they actually make that and I was able to find it locally because the feed store supplied out local zoo, who did have Capuchins) as well as his daily cream of rice ceral with raisins. He was cute as a bug with big black pleading eyes surrounded by that raccoon-like mask and elk-like ears. He loved to be held and get backrubs all the time and hollered like nuts in anticipation every time he heard me come home from work. Our first German Shepherd was barking at him once so he simply reached over and swatted him on the nose. Lots of memories with that guy.

Monkeys are social animals. If you only have one you really should be retired and be ready to spend lots of time with him otherwise buy a couple of them. You get a lot out of them but you also have to put much into them so they aren't for everyone. I can't believe that governments are cracking down on every primate (hey, doesn't that include us too?), although I know that chimps can get seriously ornery when they age and cause problems.

Never had him fling poo but he pee'd on a few feet in his time.

[sdf2000]

She has your eyes!!

[distaff]

Does she drive?

[okmunky]

Quote:

Originally Posted by distaff Does she drive?

She loves to drive, but No state will issue her a license, dang it!