it is very important to quarantine any new sock monkeys upon arrival, especially if you are unsure of their origins or if they are farm monkeys. quarantining new monkeys ensures that your healthy, happy monkeys are not exposed to outside illness. it also gives you a chance to get to know your new family member's temperament so that integrating them into the group will go smoothly. it can also be helpful to quarantine an injured monkey during the recovery period (for emergency mending tips see the previous blog: http://bananahill.blogspot.com/2007/12/sew-subversive-emergency-monkey-care.html) now that we have covered the two main reasons why a monkey should be quarantined we should move into the how.
above all things you don't want your monkey to feel like he or she is punished, you want them to feel overly loved and cared for. to do this you may try to think of the quarantine box as a mini vacation island or spa experience for your new or sick baby. here is how i like to do it: start out with a box roomy enough for a rambunctious monkey to spend a day or two with out getting to restless. make a snugglie bed for them, a really cushy pillow and a baby blanket are a wonderful way to go. i like to include a polaroid of me and maybe the other monkeys (so the monkey doesn't get too lonely,) a soft toy to cuddle (hand made felt banana plushies are what i go with,) a coloring book and washable colors will keep any monkey entertained (but be sure that they are washable because after all we are talking about monkeys here!) as a final note, i like to keep a label on the box so that i have a record of who, why and how it all went - just in case.
above: fauna, holding a simple drawing which illustrates the basics of how to quarantine.
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