Things You'll Need
- Large cage or enclosure
- Branches
- Lining for cage floor, such as peat moss, untreated wood chips or dry leaves
- Climbing objects, such as swings, tires, platforms and ladders
- Wooden nest box
- Water bowl
- Toys, such as coconut shells, mirrors and baby toys
- Diapers
- Orange peels or grass clippings
- Food, such as fruit, vegetables, nuts and insects
Instructions
Provide Adequate Housing
Set up a cage for your capuchin either in your home or outside. The bigger the enclosure, the better, but it should be at absolute minimum of 6 feet tall, 4 feet wide and 4 feet deep. Keep in mind that capuchins can damage your home significantly if they escape their cage, but must be kept indoors if your climate is subject to extreme warm or cold temperatures. Capuchins are ideally kept at tropical temperatures.
Include plenty of play and climbing features in the monkey's habitat. Capuchins spend most of their time in trees and only come to the ground to find water, so having ample branches, swings, logs and other objects to climb will keep your capuchin feeling safe and occupied. Line the bottom of the enclosure with natural materials such as wood chips, dry leaves or dried peat moss. When adding plants, make sure they are nontoxic to your capuchin.
Your capuchin will need a nest box where it can go to hide or sleep. Wood is the best material for this feature, which should be lined with the same materials used for the cage floor. The nest box should be mostly enclosed with at least two entry or exit points, and should be big enough for the full-grown monkey to fit in comfortably. Make sure to clean the nest box regularly.
Include toys for your capuchin to keep its mind busy and engage its senses. Baby toys are generally safe and entertaining for monkeys, although there are specialized monkey toys available from some pet suppliers. Monkeys like to stare into mirrors just as much as humans do, so providing one will help keep it engaged.
Keep your capuchin safe and clean by cleaning its cage once a week. Fecal matter and discarded food should be removed daily. Clean the cage with mild disinfectant and rinse all cleaned objects thoroughly to avoid your monkey ingesting the cleaning solution. If you choose to use diapers on your monkey, change the diaper every two hours or as needed.
Provide your monkey with strong but pleasant smelling substances with which it can rub itself. Capuchins do this to cover up their natural scent, reducing their detectability to prey and predators. Orange peels and grass trimmings work well for this.
Provide Food and Water
Feed your capuchin with the right kind of food. In the wild, capuchins eat fruit, plants, insects and small animals. You should provide your capuchin with a mix of fresh fruits, such as mangoes, pineapple, bananas and grapes, fresh or steamed-and-cooled vegetables, sweet potatoes, nuts and seeds (raw and unsalted), whole wheat bread (in small amounts), hard boiled eggs and insects, such as crickets and meal worms, which can be found at pet stores.
Provide your monkey with vitamin supplements designed for primates. Capuchins depend on sun exposure to develop Vitamin D, so if your capuchin is kept indoors it is especially important to provide this vitamin in supplement form.
Change your monkey's water bowl regularly, at least every other day, but preferably every day. Water can quickly become contaminated with feces, urine and food indoors. If your monkey is kept outdoors, it is ideal for it to have a small pond to drink from.
Keep your monkey's diet varied and make sure to include food from all the food groups. Capuchins are omnivores, meaning they eat both animal and plant matter.
Provide Time and Social Interaction
Make sure your capuchin gets plenty of play time. Capuchins, like all monkeys, are social creatures. In the wild they are never alone, so it's best to have a pet monkey only if one member of the family is home at all times. The more time spent playing and interacting with your capuchin, the better.
Introduce your capuchin to everyone in your close social circle as soon as you bring it home. Capuchins, after bonding with their master, may become defensive of that relationship and can attack any threats to it, such as from their owner's children, spouse or close friends. If the monkey is socialized with these other loved ones right away, it will better accept them as part of the owner's social group.
If you have the space, time and resources, own more than one capuchin. This will solve the problem of loneliness for your monkey. Acquire the monkeys at the same time, preferably from the same source. Newly introduced capuchins should never be left alone until they are completely acclimated to one another, as they can attack and kill each other. Sexually mature capuchins can become aggressive towards others if they feel their territory is being threatened.