So you watched the Cute Show today and you know alpacas (Vicugna pacos) make loyal and low-maintenance meadow pets. If you get one of the outcast alpacas that has scoliosis or is funky in some way they are cheaper than a lot of pure-bred canines. Second to a baby skunk that has had its stinker removed, I think an alpaca is the greatest snuggler pet. So soft and with a custom saddle you can ride them too!New York State has lots of alpaca farms. I am going to say roughly 800. When I arrived at the Crooked Creek Alpaca Farm in the Hudson Valley I looked for the nice lady who takes care of the herd. There were about 17 little fluffers, which was not an impressive sum. I did not find her at the house but she was obviously compensating for having so few alpacas with her two sheep doggies. Here is one. I called it "Noodles." He, or she, was sporting a summer haircut. Enough about Noodles! This dog was awfully cute but not what I was looking for.Paca poo. I must be close. If you are wondering if you can house train an alpaca the answer is, of course, yes. But you cannot just have one. You have to buy two because they get lonesome so easily. They like to have communal alcrapa piles so in terms of house-breaking you can just teach them where to go number 1 and number 2 and they usually respect your wishes. Mistakes might be made on occasion, but do not curse your alpaca for they are sensitive to insults.This was the farm's prized alpaca. He has won many, many ribbons and trophies, and as you can see here, he loves glamour shots. He kept getting in my way when I was trying to snap photos of the other alpacas. But yes, Scuttlebug was undeniably a show-stopper. You wouldn't believe how soft his fleece is. Really, you wouldn't.Their long necks are so enticing to wrap your arms around and hug--BUT NO! Do not do this unless you are trained. They hate, hate, hate their necks being touched. And their heads. Also their feet. Shearing them must take a village.This one was wrestled into submission so I could pat it. It made the silliest noise, like letting air out of a balloon. It really did not like being contained. Understandable.Har har! I took so many pictures of them peeing but I think just one will suffice.Emotions constantly swirl inside the mind of the alpaca. Their intelligence is comparable to that of a six-year-old human being.EMILY DIAMOND
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