Animal Rentals Blog

The other day was bath day here at Animal Rentals, and I got some great pictures of my dad and my uncle, Mr. Adam Monk.  I love seeing the two of them together, and dad loves reminiscing with Uncle Monk about “the old days”.  Uncle Monk is over 45 years old!  And he and dad have been together a REALLY long time…working, traveling and playing.  Uncle Monk doesn’t travel with us doing Animal Shows or College Entertainment any more, he says his days of being on the road are done and he just wants to relax and enjoy his retirement.  I LOVE traveling and don’t think I will EVER want to retire!  But Uncle Monk and I are completely different.

I guess Uncle Monk is really more of my brother than actually an uncle, since he was dad’s first monkey son.  But he is old and sort of crotchety – which dad tells me is a nicer way of saying cranky, lol – and certainly more like an uncle than a brother.  So he is Uncle Monk to me.

Uncle Monk has had an amazing life – even before he met dad.  He was born in the wild in the jungles of South America, and he was captured and kidnapped and SOLD when he was very young!  He traveled from village to village in small, bamboo cages being sold and traded until he finally came to America and met dad.  Dad likes to say that it was NOT love at first sight – lol.  But he and Uncle Monk grew to first respect then love each other, and together they built Animal Rentals from a highly demanded Organ Grinder act to a business that focuses on bringing people and exotic animals together in an educational and entertaining way.  I even think that it was Uncle Monk’s idea to do our Petting Zoos and Pony Rides. At least, HE says it was.  Dad just rolls his eyes and laughs whenever I ask him about it.

Anyway, I guess after such a long life filled with work and adventure Uncle Monk deserves to relax and be pampered in his retirement.  And he sure does love his bath time!  I don’t blame him, I do too!  What about you?  Do you love bath time too?

HAPPY NEW YEAR everybody!

I am tired but happy from my big New Year’s Eve night out with dad and lots of fun, dancing and new friends.  I would love to be sleeping right now, but dad says I need to make a New Year’s Resolution and share it with everyone so that I stick to it…so here I am, writing to you all about my New Year’s Resolution.

Ok, honestly, I don’t get the whole New Year’s Resolution thing.  Dad says it’s a promise you make to yourself so that you have a guideline and a plan to follow for the upcoming year.  Well let me tell you, a monkey brain doesn’t work like that.  Lol!  We live for the day…actually we live for the moment.  A monkey’s motto is “Do whatever feels good!”  We don’t do a lot of planning.

The above was written on January 1st.  Today is January 27th.  This is the perfect illustration to my point.  I have been “doing whatever feels good” for the last few weeks and totally forgot about finishing my blog post!  Talk about living in the moment – hahahaha!

Dad says I have the emotional maturity of a two year old child.  I’m not sure that’s a compliment, but I suppose it is true.  Us monkeys get easily excited and easily distracted.  It is such a big, wild, wonderful world out there how can anybody NOT get caught up in the thrill of the moment sometimes?  It is so easy to do!

Ok so back to the New Year’s Resolution.  Mine this year is to spend more time telling you all about my wonderful exotic animal friends and family at Animal Rentals and about all the fun we have living and playing and working together.  Sometimes I get so busy traveling around with dad to our College Entertainment shows, or working locally doing our Animal Shows, Petting Zoos and other fun events, that I forget to get online and share our stories with all of my wonderful human friends out there across the country.  Bad Mindy!  Lol.

The really exciting news that you may have already noticed, is that this year I am sharing my blog space with my human and exotic animal friends of Mindy’s Menagerie, and letting them post here too!  So one day you might read a post from me, another day a post from someone on our staff, and another day maybe even one from Casper the Albino Burmese Python or Cleopatra the Serval Cat or Mrs. Clean the Hairless Rat.  You never know who is going to want to pop in as a guest star here on my blog, so be sure to check back often and get to know us all better in 2015!

"BUGSY" & SOME OF HIS FRIENDS

BUGSY, not his real name, is the self-appointed leader and spokesperson for the  gang of Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches  that comprise the “insect only” members of  Mindy’s Menagerie. He says his name is taken from “that 1940′s gangster you see in all the old crime movies” and not because he in fact is a bug. That movie gangster  was portrayed as sneaky, underhanded and a bit of a ham, which just happens to fit the nature of BUGSY and his companions.

ANIMAL RENTALS very own animal ambassador,  Mindy the Monkey, paid a visit to one of her old stomping grounds on New Year’s Eve.  The KISS KISS CABARET on 4707 N. Broadway invited Mindy and her dad Bill to spend a few hours schmoozing with the party goers and possibly take in the show.  Mindy had previously worked at the KISS KISS CABARET when it was on Lincoln Avenue and did not want to disappoint them.  Already booked at a number of parties she managed to allow for a few hours with her friends.  The evening was magic, the people divine and the show utterly fantastic.  People posed for pictures and took selfies with the ever gracious monkey.  What a great way to welcome the NewYear.

KISS KISS CABARET       MINDY CIRCA (2013)    POSING FOR A PICTURE

Evidently the writers  of The Concierge column in the 2015 edition of the CHICAGO magazine know talent when they see it.  ANIMAL RENTALS very own animal ambassador, Mindy the Monkey, led the list of critters available for rent.  Mindy, however, is the only primate available in Chicago making ANIMAL RENTALS  your choice when searching for something different.  Besides Mindy, we offer unique entertainment including “exotic” hands-on animal shows, petting zoos, pony rides and camel rides.  Go to Mindy’s Menagerie and meet and learn more about our animal actors.

ANIMAL RENTALS helped spread some holiday cheer at a party hosted by FISHER CONTROLS in Iowa on Saturday, December 13th. Animal ambassador, Mindy the Monkey, dressed in her most appropriate seasonal garments along with Purse the Alligator, Sylvester the Skunk, Ruby the African Grey Parrot and others entertained the audience. Photo opportunities were everywhere with people taking “selfies” with our pets.

If you want to know more about our exotic animal show, check out Mindy’s Menagerie on our website. You might also want to read our updated page, ABOUT OUR ANIMALS, and see the excellent care our animals receive.

Loyola University was the last stop on our college entertainment tour for 2014. Our animal ambassadors, including Mindy the Monkey brought their hands-on animal show at the invitation of the Loyola University Pre-Vet Club. These future veterinarians shared in the fund with their fellow students as they experienced face to face interaction with members of Mindy’s Menagerie. An alligator,chinchilla,fennec fox, porcupine and skunk were just a few of our animal friends brought for the event. Check out our new “About Our Animals” page and read how well our pets are cared for.

Our magician friend Michael Kent had some fun with Mindy the Monkey, animal ambassador of ANIMAL RENTALS, at a recent party they attended. Mindy loves magic and having associated with entertainers and magicians from all over the country, she was pretty sure how the trick worked. Watch Michael make a monkey out of well, a monkey. It was all in fun and the audience really enjoyed the show. Thanks, Michael, hope to work with you again. Sorry Mindy took a bite out of your ball.

They were making good time while on the way to do a college show at  Southwest Tennessee Community College last night until the “check engine” light went on. Seconds later, the engine stalled and the ANIMAL RENTALS van slowly crept to a stop about two hours from their destination.  Knowing they would never make it in time to do the exotic animal show, Bill Hoffmann called the Chicago office.  An hour later, Mark pulled away from the curb.  Driving non stop throughout the night he met Bill in the early morning.  After transferring the animals to another van,  Mark continued to the College minus Mindy the Monkey who refused to leave her dad.  While waiting for the tow truck, Mindy amused herself  by playing with the steering wheel, while Bill worried that Mark would arrive on time to do the show.  A phone call from Mark a few hours later eased his pain.  Mark was setting up for the first show, the animals were all fine and the show was on schedule.

Later that day, an exhausted and relieved Bill Hoffman drove back to Chicago with Mindy fast sleep in the passenger seat.  They would be home in no time, with a new alternator flawlessly doing its job.

Neither rain, sleet,  snow or a busted alternator can stop ANIMAL RENTALS from completing their job.  Alternators may die, but the show will go on!

ANIMAL RENTALS  is on the road again, visiting at least several colleges and making new friends.  For the month of November, we will be bringing our educational and entertaining “hands on”  EXOTIC ANIMAL DISPLAY college entertainment to the following schools.

SOUTHEAST TENNESSEE COMMUNITY COLLEGE located in Memphis, TN on November 11th and 12th.

MERCYHURST UNIVERSITY located in Erie, PA on November 14th.  We will be participating in a “hands-on” “Fear Factor” themed event.

UNIVERSITY OF FINDLAY located in Findlay, OH on November 20th.

Our mission is to educate, entertain and encourage conservation of our world’s animals by offering  a face to face interaction with members of  Mindy’s Menagerie, the ambassadors of ANIMAL RENTALS.  

Follow our adventures by visiting and liking us on Face Book;  Animal Rentals and Mindy the Monkey.