MACAQUE PMS:
Primate Menstrual Symptoms

Written By: Karen D. Gill

Lucy was the cuddliest little baby when we got her. We didn't know her exact age. But she had her baby teeth and seemed to be around two years old. She could be handled by everybody in the family. My six year old could take her out of the cage and put her on a leash. My husband could take her out and play with her and put her back with no problem. She was my special baby, I would always tell her that.

During the first six months we had Lucy she started to change. At first she would nip the children. My youngest, was the first to be challenged. Lucy went from nipping to putting on a bruising bite. She quickly stayed clear of Lucy. My twelve year old, was next. She found out Lucy would turn on her whenever she would correct or control her. This was totally unacceptable to me. I would punish Lucy when she bit, I would grab the back of her neck and put her to the ground. Then she went back into her cage. She knew I did not like that behavior.

I didn't have anyone to talk to about what was going on. I had read books about monkeys behavior and dominance in primate family groups. I saw this happening in my living-room.

Around this same time I saw physical changes in Lucy. The area around her butt pads was getting redder and swelling. Then we noticed her first menstrual period. It only lasted a couple of days. She would behave better for two weeks afterwards then start biting every chance she got. I kept track of her cycle and saw her aggression directly related to the ovulation.

She was all teeth and nails for three weeks out of the month. I was the only one who could handle her without getting bit. It was her choice, to her I was dominant. Everyone else in the house was fair game. Kim was determined to interact with Lucy when I had her out on a leash. Lucy would act like she would be nice until Kim got close then she would lunge and bite. I saw the scars from the bites on her arms and legs and wondered what I gotten myself and my family into. Something had to change.

I had talked with Lucy's vet about our problems. He said there was a good chance that having Lucy's ovaries taken out would relieve a lot of the problem. Now I knew that Rhesus are at the top of the list for aggressive behavior. I didn't know that when I bought Lucy, I found it out in later research. We decided that the ovarectomy would give me some control back. Maybe without the hormones Lucy could coexist with our family.

The effect of the surgery was slow. It took right around a year for Lucy to lose the physical characteristics of a sexually mature female. As time went on she tolerated the girls more. They could not control her but they could pet her and hand her treats and toys without being jumped. Four years later Lucy is still aggressive when challenged. I am the only one that can get her out and control her actions. She not hugs the girls, when she wants too, and lets them play with her.

I know that she may never to a pet that everybody can pick up and cuddle. We have to accept the fact that these are not small humans. Sometimes we have to alter them physically to conform to our expectations. Is it right or wrong? We have to decide if this is a choice we can live with.

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