Kmart used to sell pet monkeys in the 1960s. It wasn’t alone

A rumor swinging around social media claims the once-popular Kmart retail chain used to sell pet monkeys in the 1960s.

On Oct. 7, a Facebook user posted (archived) that he remembered his dad taking him in 1962 to a Kmart store in Canada that had monkeys for sale. The post said, “They used to have a cage in the back of the store and they used to sell monkeys as pets. Anyone else remember this?”

Some users replying to the post mentioned they remembered seeing monkeys at Kmart in the 1960s, while others said they recalled during the same decade that some school classrooms also housed small primates.

One Snopes reader emailed, “Did Kmart sell monkeys in the 1960s? Huge debate on Facebook.”

Users have shared the same rumor about Kmart selling monkeys on Facebook (archived), Reddit (archived) and X (archived).

This claim is true. According to advertisements in newspaper archives, at least some Kmart stores in the U.S. and Canada sold monkeys in the 1960s in its pet department, known as the “Pet Circus.”

Snopes emailed Transformco, the company that purchased the U.S. Kmart brand in 2019, to ask if it could provide any further information about the company’s history of selling monkeys and will update this article if we receive further information.

Research of this subject located an apparent fake vintage photo of a family admiring a monkey in a Kmart store, information about Sears also selling monkeys and other exotic animals, and an authentic, decades-old newspaper ad offering live monkeys by mail. More information about those subjects appear later in this article.

Yes, Kmart sold monkeys

Initial searches of the Internet Archive’s records and Google Books’ literature archive failed to find any helpful information about this subject. However, Newspapers.com’s archives provided exactly what we were looking for.

On Nov. 6, 1963, the the Kitchener-Waterloo Record newspaper, based in Ontario, Canada, advertised a Kmart promotion offering free balloons and lollipops for children as part of a “Big Pet Circus Sale.” One part of the ad listed squirrel monkeys for $19.95 each, with a separate charge for a monkey cage. The ad read, “These monkeys are also known as the Moss Monkeys. They are ideal for pets, but are delicate in captivity. They are about the size of a common squirrel.”

Turning to the U.S., on Sept. 18, 1964, the Danville Register in Virginia, featured an ad for Kmart’s “Giant Pet Circus.” The ad called the display, “The Largest and Most Unusual Display of Fish, Animals and Birds in Danville.” Animals featured included seven “playful” squirrel monkeys named Jackson, Jacob, Jason, Jeremiah, Jesse, Julius and Mable.

Later that month, the Port Huron Times Herald in Michigan, advertised a special “Pet Circus Parade Sale.” The promotion invited shoppers to bring their pets to win in the categories of most unusual pet, largest pet, smallest pet, best dressed pet and rarest pet, with the stipulation of “NO INSECTS.” Small print read, “Win a valuable Pet Squirrel Monkey. Just Deposit Entry at our Pet Dept.” Three officials from the local Humane Society and a manager of an animal shelter reportedly served as judges.

On Oct. 13, 1965, a handful of Canadian newspapers ran a full-page Kmart “pet circus” ad displaying an illustration of a squirrel monkey. The primates, listed for $19.98 each, featured the description, “The very popular Squirrel Monkey is ideal as a pet! About the size of common squirrels and sometimes called Moss Monkeys, these pretty animals will add fun and enjoyment to any household. Don’t miss out on this special low price!”

(The Sault Daily Star via Newspapers.com)

In 1966, the Danville Register published a Kmart ad listing squirrel monkeys for $13.44, South American red squirrels for $12.88, chipmunks for $6.66 and baby alligators for $1.27, among other offerings. The ad also invited customers to “See the Giant 5-ft. Iguana Lizard.”

That same year, a North Dakota newspaper also mentioned monkeys were available in a Kmart pet department.

Apparent fake Kmart monkey image

In our research, we noted that a Facebook post (archived) featured an apparent fake image (archived) showing a Kmart worker holding a monkey inside a store, with a family standing next to and admiring the animal.

A scan of the image with OpenAI’s free tool, which verifies content generated using the company’s chatbot, displayed the results, “This content was generated using OpenAI tools,” and, “We found a SynthID watermark that originated from OpenAI.” Outside of the scan results, we did not in another manner independently and definitively confirm that someone used artificial intelligence to generate the image.

(OpenAI)

Signs of apparent generative AI involvement with the image included inconsistencies in the way the two squirrel monkey signs displayed the Kmart logo, letters and numbers — for example the different ways the number “9” appeared.

A reverse image search failed to find other postings of the image. If the image was a real vintage photo of monkeys inside Kmart, users would have widely shared its contents for many years into the past.

Sears sold monkeys and alligators, too

A dated Reddit post (archived) claimed that the also once-popular retail chain Sears used to sell monkeys, too.

California-based newspapers from 1962 and 1963 showed ads promoting Sears, Roebuck and Co. “Pet Shop Specials” and a “Pet Fair Spectacular.” Animals that one of the ads labeled as “unusual, friendly pets” included ocelots for $239, boa constrictors for $19.88, wooly monkeys for $150, weeper monkeys for $99.50 and alligators for $2.88.

(Independent via Newspapers.com)

Another ad offered “cuddly monkeys” described as “lively” and “exotic,” including cotton top marmosets for $45, spider monkeys for $88, stump-tailed macaques for $188, squirrel monkeys for $25 and cinnamon ringtails for $59.

Monkey delivery-by-mail ad

During our research, we found a Facebook posting about (archived) Kmart once selling monkeys. That post featured a purported squirrel-monkey ad, with the user noting the ad was separate from Kmart’s promotions and was included in the post only for illustrative purposes.

That 1966 ad, which we confirmed as an authentic printed offer in the Kilgore News Herald newspaper in Texas, guaranteed live delivery of a “darling pet monkey” for “loads of fun and amusement” — for only $18.95.

(Kilgore News Herald via Newspapers.com)

The ad read:

Darling Pet Monkey

This Squirrel Monkey makes an adorable pet and companion. Almost human with its warm eyes, your family will love it. These YOUNG monkeys grow about 12 inches high. Eats same food as you, even likes lollipops; simple to care for an train. FREE cage, FREE leather collar and leash, F R E E toy and instructions included.

Live delivery guaranteed! Only $18.95 express collect. Mail check or money order for $18.95 to: Animal Farm, FH Box 1042, Miami Beach 39, Fla.

For further reading, we recently investigated whether a video truly showed a monkey rescuing a dog from floodwaters.

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