Question
It seems it's not common to see monkeys as pets. I'm not sure of the reason, despite they're supposed to be smarter than any other pets (e.g. dogs).
It is possible to have a monkey as a pet (in the US/UK/EU countries)? Or there are some difficulties with that?
Answer
It's certainly possible to have almost any animal as a pet. It varies from situation to situation as to how hard it is to make it happen. First, it depends on the area you live in and the local laws. There are some places that ban you even having a Pitbull, so the chances of them banning you from having a giraffe are pretty good. You'll have to contact your local government official to ask what the laws are concerning obtaining an animal of that nature. I'd advise calling the local police (not 911), animal control, fish and game, etc... and find out who could best answer that question. You're much more likely to get a good answer if you give the impression that you not only want to obtain the animal legally, but want to care for it correctly.
Assuming it's legal for you to have it as a pet, you next need to look at availability. You can find dogs and cats everywhere, many pet stores have exotic birds, it's a little harder to find hedgehogs, sugar gliders, etc... It's going to be very hard to find a monkey, zebra, or anything else that's that exotic. You can do online research and find out who to contact, but you need to find out a couple of things. You may have to travel across the country or even have the animal imported to get it. You also need to verify with the authorities what legal paperwork you need to obtain from a seller to prove that they've obtained the animal legally. Something you need to ask this person as well as the authorities is what type of enclosure is required for this animal. You need to put any information you obtain on diet, enclosure, health issues, etc... in a binder for reference.
If you do obtain the animal, you'll need to not only know what it requires, but how you can supply a steady stream of that. You'll need to consult with a vet on the required nutrition and make sure that you're able to find it at all in your area and that you're financially capable of supporting that for the life span of the animal. Even with a monkey, who would be able to eat most of the food at the supermarket, you have to make sure it's a balanced diet. You'll need to provide for the physical and mental needs of the animal by providing it proper shelter, food, and interactive time for it's mind and body. You'll need to know where the closest vet that's willing to treat your animal is at.
After all of that, from what I've heard, monkeys are awful to have. I've hear they're like bad toddlers their entire lives. You have to change diapers, they throw things, they dig around in your pantries and other things, hide things, etc... These are all acceptable monkey behaviors, but not something most people want inside their homes. That's just a small monkey, like a capuchin. If you got something larger, like a chimpanzee, it'd be exponentially worse. They are also stronger than most people, so you could get hurt.
Answered By - Dalton