Hi everyone. It's time to write another blog for “Living With Monkeys.” So are you in a rut with your life, your meals, your schedule of doing things?

Are you in a rut with your monkey?

I am having a wonderful week with another monkey lady friend. She is experiencing watching her monkey embracing a total change in his lifestyle and ways of doing things. This is his 6th or 7th trip to visit us and he is allowing himself to enjoy his lifestyle here as he is coming out of his rut for just a few days.   He is having a vacation too.  When he returns home he will be refreshed and ready to embrace his own familiar world, once again.

****When we choose to do things with our monkeys the same way day after day, we of course, fall into ruts.
       Change is wonderful not only for us but for our monks too. I have always been capable of making lots of changes in my life due to my lifestyle and business.
       When we make changes this allows our monkeys to stretch their worlds. By doing this they often experience that all important thing called environmental enrichment. The USDA inspector who comes to my house often speaks with me about the new things I am doing with my monkeys and reads my environmental enrichment program as part of her routine inspections.
         So, take a look from a higher perception and look up over your life with your monkey. If you see that you have made some very big ruts in their daily routines, then choose to make a change or two, or even three. Stretch a little in your own life and your monkey's life often.

****(Special Note) Remember This: If you have a problem with your monkey's behavior and you are continuing to do the same things over an over again with the same results happening, then remember to make a change. Change can solve many monkey behavior problems too. Start a new way of doing things often when you are sharing your life with a monkey. It is good for the heart and soul of you both.

Read more about making changes in our book. Visit us at: www.livingwithmonkeys.com to get your down-loadable copy.

I spent some time last night watching many people with their baby monkeys on YouTube. In the “Living With Monkeys” book you will understand why I strongly suggest not to play with a baby monkey, so I thought it would be important to give you some insights into why I suggest this in the book.

(Question Time) What do you mean Mary Lynn? Why should you not play with a baby monkey? Is it not true that all dogs, cats, and children learn things through playing?

So many of the baby monkeys who were on YouTube were being played with and almost all of them were playing back using their mouths on their owners hands. It may seem like fun for everyone who comes in contact with your baby monkey to do, but it is programming the baby monkey that it is okay to put their mouth and teeth on people even if it is only play-bites.

****A baby monkey needs to know from day one that it is never okay to put their mouth on anyone's hands or other parts of a person's body. It is natural for this to take place with a monkey but it is not the type of programming a monkey caregiver should ever allow with a baby monkey.

An over-stimulating play-time can get out of control with a single housed monkey just as easily as it can between a troupe of monks. The last thing that any of us want to have happen during, a play-time, is for it to turn into a biting-time.

(Special Note)  Show them how to play with a toy for a short time while saying the name of the toy several times and then allow them time to entertain themselves with it in their own way. When you play with the baby monkeys with their toys, then they will begin to look to you for their play stimulation. We all wish for monkeys who live in captivity to be happy in their own worlds with or without us. I love to see mine playing and being happy with their toys at any time.

Monkeys are not like a dog, a cat, or even a human child. They are monkeys who are very emotional little creatures with many different ways of processing what they are seeing. They must always be taught good manners and gentle loving things. They will naturally add their own special way of playing if we allow them time to do this.

Remember to balance their play-time with love-time in their early programming. This will serve you and your baby monkey greatly. Using these two types of times with a baby monkey will build both types of behaviors into their worlds. Over-stimulating them as you are playing with them can get out of hand very quickly. Being able to switch them into love-time is a much easier way to change their over-stimulated energy than by putting them into time out. If you give as much energy into love-time as you do play-time with a baby monkey, I assure you will be happy with your monkey's behaviors during the coming years.

Go to    www.livingwithmonkeys.com    to get your down-loadable copy of           “The Baby Book.”

Yesterday was such a fun day for us here at SunShine MonkeyShines. We traveled a distance away so we could celebrate Eli's birthday. We had a wonderful audience, great fun, good food and of course, a beautiful drive during our leaf changing time.

I am constantly making changes for my troupe to make life more exciting for all of them. They are just like us and benefit from lots of change, so one of the changes that I made several weeks ago was to help Sissy get over her extreem dislike of baths. I moved her into my kitchen area for a change.

She came to me as a troupe monkey and had always shown me that she wished to be with the other “Teenage” monkeys. So just one day out of the blue I decided to give her a big change for awhile and moved her into my kitchen troupe of “Toddlers.”

One of the best things that has happened is she has been getting so many more baths due to her being just a few steps away from the sink.

During the show yesterday I noticed how soft and silky Sissy's coat looked and felt as I was putting her diaper on so she could visit with the birthday guest. I am so glad that I made this change for her because now she is starting to like her baths so much better and is finally starting to benefit from the wonderful shampoo that I am using.

For years I have been using baby shampoo to wash the monkey with but because of the advice of my good friend, who did the research about monkey's ph being different from ours, I now have the greatest “Monkey Shampoo.” The name of this natural shampoo is in the book. The monkeys like knowing that it will not burn or sting their eyes and that it even taste okay too!

There is an entire chapter about bath-time in the book “Living With Monkeys.” Go to: www.livingwithmokeys.com and get your downloadable copy quick and easy.

I was just speaking to a friend on Friday, and we were talking about how different a baby monkey is compared to how they are when they are older. My friend said, “The perfect pet would be a baby monkey. It is a shame they must grow up.”

This conversation started me thinking about the differences in monkeys as they are babies and why many call them  - "The 18 Month Pet."  When they are little they are fearless and eager to play and be happy, at least if they are normal acting baby monkeys. They are lighthearted, playful little creatures, and you can teach them many things they love to do with special food rewards or simple praise. They love to melt your heart when they choose to come up and quickly fall asleep in your arms in the next moments after their play.

I could write pages about how wonderful a baby monkey can be, and I must agree with my friends comments in our conversation, "Baby monkeys are one of the most wonderful little creatures who were ever created by God."

The things that are not commonly known or talked about is how much they change when they start the maturing stage of their lives. So many monkey caregivers have such a hard time believing it is possible for their baby monkeys to ever turn on any member of their family or choose one member of the family over the others. These are just a few of the things that could happen. There are many more things which might happen as they grow physically, emotionally, and intellectually through the stages of their lives.

The “Living With Monkeys” “The Baby Book” will help in understanding how a baby monkey is processing the early programming that a family is giving them. This book is an important tool for any possible monkey caregiver or even an existing caregiver of an older monkey. It could also help you understand more about why some of the unbelievable things are happening to the monkey who is in your life now.

Go to : www.livingwithmonkeys.com and learn more about the book series and then order your instantly downloable copy of the book.

I recently was on Facebook and I saw a video of a new monkey caregiver being very challenged while giving a bath to a very unhappy baby monkey. After seeing this I made a mental note that it would be a good thing to write a blog about.

Bath-time should be a fun time for a monkey but there are many times that this is not always the way that it turns out. I wrote a chapter in “The Baby Book” about how to introduce bath time to your baby monkey.

Remember to get everything ready for your monkey's bath before you bring your baby monkey into the kitchen or bathroom. At first make a check list so you have everything that you will need. Then draw warm water into your sinks. One side of your sink should have wash water and the other side of the sink should have your rinse water. Try a forced air heater to dry your baby monkey. Using this type of dryer will allow you to have both of your hands free instead of a hand held blow dryer. The sounds of bath time for a baby monkey should not be frightening to their little ears. Then R E L A X....... it needs to be fun and easy for both of you.

I wish bath-time to be a happy time for each and every monkey. So order your copy of “The Baby Book” now at: www.livingwithmokeys.com

I cannot stress to everyone who has a monkey living in their homes, the importance of looking closely at their toys, leads, locks, enclosures, and so many other things that are in their world. These things make up a safe, secure, lifestyle for a monkey in captivity.

Just because you look on Monday at that playpen does not mean the same playpen will look and be the same on Tuesday. Everyday is a “Look Closely Day” in our world of being a primate caregiver.

Let me change my last statement to read as follows: **** Looking closely is not only a daily thing. Looking closely is a necessity to do every moment of everyday, when you have a monkey living in captivity.

www.livingwithmonkeys.com is the place to get your downloadable copy of "Living With Monkeys."

The name of the first book of the series is called “The Baby Book” which is a little deceiving about the contents of the book. This book is full of good monkey information  no matter what age your monkey might be.   I think the most important areas this book focuses on is getting a clearer understand about not only the mindset of a monkey who is living in captivity, but also a better understanding about the stages of emotional growth that they go through.

From the reading of this book monkey caregivers of any age monkey can learn why some of the problems with their own monkeys could be coming from their early programming as babies. 

We talk about these types of things and how to use behavioral modification to turn bad behavior into good behavior in “The Baby Book.”

www.livingwithmonkeys.com is the place to go to order your downloadable copy

I just posted on Facebook a comment about blessing monkeys who had just been taken away from a family in Texas. The story about this event does not matter to me. That is not the issue right now. The issue is a family and their monkeys have been thrust into a very big change. My heart is breaking for their loss.

We as monkey caregivers must always be aware that these precious monkeys are our gifts but because they are not human primates they can become at risk by other things. I could spend the rest of my time on the blog speaking about all of the reasons that this last statement is true, but I will not.

Monkeys in our lives and in our homes are our gifts for however long they will be with us. I will hope and pray each day that it is for a very long time. I must now close for now and go hug my monkeys – I need a hug back.

www.livingwithmonkeys.com is the place to order the first book in the series called “The Baby Book”

Saturday afternoon I was trying to get off to a birthday party for my niece but there were events which kept me form leaving the house on time. I was putting Silly Willy's food in the cage and as usual I reached for the key to the cage lock.  I put the key into the lock and began to take the lock from his cage.   Just at the same moment a great scene came up on a movie that I was watching, so I took my eyes from the cage lock for 2 seconds.   

Guess what happened?  Yes, you already know.........  It took Silly Willy 2 seconds to work the two other locking devices on his cage door, jump out of his cage, and then grab up three pieces of monkey chow from one of the other monkey's food dishes.  
Dang those 2 seconds!!!

Everything that happens with my troupe of monkeys is ultimately my fault......  but that little Silly Willy loves to choose to be bad and get into trouble in 1/2 of a second!!!  (He missed a great fun outing as his punishment.)

www,livingwithmonkeys.com is the place to order your downloadable copy of "Living With  Monkeys."

I recently attended a birthday party for a special little girl monkey.  There were many monkeys there from age 7 weeks to 6 years old.  It was so much fun getting to meet so many new people and their monkeys. 

Instead of looking and comparing the behaviors of each of the monkeys who were there, I chose to look at the caretakers and their families. I learned at that happy gathering that each monkey was perfect for the people that had them.  Each one of us (I believe) learned many important things from each other during our time together.

Each monkey must fit into the routines and lifestyle of their families.  One of the most important things about programming a baby monkey is choosing to be consistent and to only allow people to be around your monkey who will choose to respect your programming choices and continue to follow them while they are with your monkey.

Go to: www.livingwithmonkeys.com -  it is the place to get your downloadable copy of "Living With Monkeys" so you can learn more about programming your pet monkey in a positive way.