The Orlando Sentinel has an article and video about empty-nesters who buy monkeys and raise them as surrogate children.
Many self-described "monkey people" don't dare call them pets. They are playfully referred to as "monkids" and reared in a world of pierced ears, monogrammed clothes, a seat at the dinner table and their own bedrooms.
At Gemini Springs in DeBary recently, Johnson pushed "Jessy" around in a toy-filled red stroller, a sight that drew attention. "Hey, it's a real monkey," hollered one youngster, who did a double take.
Johnson replied with a grin: "That's not a monkey; that's my kid."
