Frequently Asked questions
How can you have an alpaca as a pet?
Alpacas come under the category of "livestock" on our local council website. As such, we are allowed to have him as long as he doesn't wander the neighbourhood unrestrained, create disruptive noise, or smell.
Some countries have stricter laws on alpaca ownership, and you are required to have at least two or three. Many alpaca farmers will refuse to sell a single alpaca, as they are better purchased in pairs. In fact, in America - if you ring a farm asking for single baby alpaca, you're likely to get hung up on straight away.
Australia is a bit more...relaxed. We know a few families with a single alpaca, and we have spoken to them about managing Alfie's needs.
However, we did register him with PIRSA (the biosecurity department):
www.pir.sa.gov.au/biosecurity/animal_health/alpaca
Will you have to get Alfie shorn?
Yes, once annually before summer. He had his first shearing on the 2nd January, 2019. We took him to an alpaca farm to be shorn by a professional. It was very quick and Alfie behaved beautifully, keeping calm for the entire procedure. It cost $35 Australian dollars and we got to keep the wool.
The second time was October 2019. Jeff did it himself over the course of two hours, with scissors!
What will you do with Alfie’s wool?
I gave it to a friend who is retired and enjoys knitting. We've now got a second batch that we're not sure what to do with.
What does he eat?
He eats our lawn! We also provide oaten hay. He likes the green seedy bits the most. He drinks water occasionally, but not often - although we always leave him a plenty to drink. He also loves lettuce and grated carrot.
How much does he eat?
Alpacas eat 2% of their body weight, per day. Alfie weighs 44 kilograms (Nov 2019).
Is he toilet trained?
Alpacas "toilet" in the same spot and don't need training. Alfie has chosen the middle of the lawn, unfortunately. However, if he is inside or we are out, he will "hold it" until we get home and go straight to his spot. It's amazing.
What is the difference between alpacas and llamas?
Although very similar to the alpaca, llamas are larger with longer snouts and tall ears. They are more aggressive and often used as guard animals or to carry things. Alpacas are bred for their wool.
Does Alfie spit?
With alpacas, the "spit" is actually an acidic blob of partially digested grass brought up from the stomach and hurled at other alpacas during fights (Fields, 2014). Alpacas rarely spit at humans. So far, we have only experienced several spits. Each time, it was because he was annoyed with how he was being touched or approached.
How much do alpacas cost?
Alfie cost us $550 Australian dollars. He is a non-breeding male due to undesirable genes, so was sold as a pet. Females and breeding males cost a lot more (into the thousands).
Where did you get Alfie?
An alpaca farm in Australia.
Is Alfie a "house" alpaca?
Alfie spends most of his time in our backyard munching away. However, he loves coming inside to hang out with us in the lounge in the evenings after his walk, or if it's raining.
Why does Alfie have a collar instead of a halter?
We haven't tried a halter on Alfie. Alfie follows Jeff willingly and doesn't need to be "yanked". Sometimes on a walk, Alfie will stop to look around. In these cases, a light tap on the bottom gets him moving again.
How old is Alfie?
We don't know! He is somewhere between six months to one year. He was weaned when we bought him in September of 2018, which means he must have been at least six months old then.
Did you save Alfie from the butcher?
One of the popular Facebook videos of Alfie that went viral claimed that Jeff rescued Alfie from being butchered. This is not exactly true. Alfie grew up on an alpaca farm and was likely to be butchered after several years, as he was not going to be used for breeding.
In Australia, the alpaca meat industry is growing, so this is considered a business-savvy add-on for some alpaca farmers. I was watching the Food Network the other day, and there was a chef showing how to roast alpaca meat! We are not vegetarian or vegan, so don't feel we have a right to be outraged about this if we then go home and have lamb or beef for dinner! The Australian outback is overrun with camels, so it's not difficult to get camel meat from the Adelaide Central Markets and specialty butchers. Since alpacas are in the camelid family, eating alpaca meat is not considered an outrageous notion in Australia.
So in short - although the Facebook video made Jeff look like a saviour - that's not really true. Jeff didn't buy him to "save" him. Jeff bought Alfie to love him as a pet.
Does Alfie have any alpaca friends?
Yes. We have taken Alfie to meet several alpacas since we bought him. We plan regular "play dates" so that Alfie can interact with his kind. "Taco the Alpaco" is our favourite! Although, it must be said that although there are moments of curiosity, there's hasn't been any significant bonding with other alpacas. Alfie doesn't seem to care that much, which surprised us.
Don't alpacas die of depression due to loneliness?
If an alpaca was left alone in a field, with no interaction, then of course it would get lonely - as a dog would! Alfie is not alone; he gets lots of interactions with humans, dogs and our bunnies. He has not exhibited any signs of depression. However, we do acknowledge that alpacas SHOULD be purchased in pairs. We try to make up for this by taking him for a walk every day and spending as much time with him as possible. If Alfie ever started to show signs of depression, we would seriously look into getting another.
After much research, we've learned that alpacas need to be in a herd because they take it in turns sleeping at night so that there is always someone "keeping watch" to protect the herd. If an alpaca is alone at night, they can't get a restful sleep. We don't think lone alpacas "die of depression" - it's more likely caused by stress from sleep deprivation. Our backyard is fully contained, so Alfie has never been frightful sleeping at night. However, lately he has been sleeping inside by Jeff's side. This is something that Jeff (perhaps foolishly) encouraged Alfie to do, and now it's become a habit! He sleeps very soundly.
Male alpacas who are raised by humans can develop berserk male syndrome. Aren't you in danger?
We asked the alpaca farmer about this and researched extensively, as this was a concern of ours, too. However, since Alfie was weaned when we bought him, and we have had him desexed early, the farmer said it was highly unlikely that Alfie would get it. It's much more common with bottle-fed alpacas that have not been castrated before puberty.
Several alpaca farmers have found us online and expressed concern. Although this has worried us from time to time, and we acknowledge that these people have a lot more experience than us, we have found very little research about alpacas being raised in a home environment - like a family dog. It seems to be uncharted territory. The vast majority of "pet" alpaca owners (single alpacas in a pet environment rather than managing a herd) we have spoken to have had no issue with berserk syndrome. The ones who have experienced it noticed gradual changes in personality due to the frequent and intimate interactions with the animal, with time for disciplinary actions at its onset.
There is plenty of academic evidence to support berserk syndrome, but that is almost always in a "natural" environment, with all other herd animals removed, rather than a domestic environment with different rules and structures. Having said that, all the domestic alpaca owners we have reached out to have mentioned that they do well provided they are given and taught boundaries, as you would with any animal you let in the house, as well as providing stimulation and interaction to prevent boredom and the destructive tendencies that come with it.
We notice that Alfie is most lonely at night, and has taken to sleeping inside in the lounge room. After dark, he is definitely more clingy and will come inside and settle down if we leave the door open. Otherwise, there are times when he is excited to see us, and times when he couldn't care less for attention.
Regardless, he has picked up way more than we had anticipated. He knows having the lead attached means to follow and has learnt Jeff's verbal commands to slow down or speed up without having to apply pressure on the lead.
Several people noticed our video with Alfie jumping up onto Jeff. Alfie does this at the beginning of his walk to the park (every time!). These are playful, excited jumps. We have seen Alfie jump up aggressively twice (a sign of dominance) and there is a big difference. We make sure Alfie knows that we do not tolerate aggressive behaviour.
How do you keep Alfie cool on hot summer days?
Alpacas need shade in the summer to escape the heat of the day, but even on the hottest days you'll find them lying on their sides taking in the full sun. Like cats, alpacas love a good sun bath and will stay there until their fleece is almost too hot to touch (Fields, 2014). On really hot days, we turn on the misters and provide a shallow baby pool which Alfie likes to sit in. He has also sat on our sprinkler a few times! Obviously his recent shearing will help him to keep cool, too.
How do you manage Alfie's health?
It is important to us to cultivate a good working knowledge of alpaca healthcare needs so that we can make good decisions about Alfie's welfare. So far, his vaccinations, shearing and gelding were a part of that. He has also had a vitamin D injection to prevent rickets.
Does Alfie like to be touched and cuddled?
In general, alpacas are wary of humans. They do not like to be grabbed and there are areas of the body (feet, lower legs and abdomen) where they do not like to be touched (I got kicked for stroking his stomach!). If handled well, they will interact peacefully with humans, but they won't come when they are called like dogs or cats, nor do they really like much in way of petting. An alpaca's love language is "time spent" - this builds trust.
Some individuals are more affectionate than others. As for Alfie specifically, he doesn't like to be touched while he is eating, but when he sits down, Jeff and I can cuddle and pat him and he doesn't mind. In fact, we have found the spots where he loves to be scratched. Alfie is especially trusting of Jeff and will let him do nearly anything, including cutting the wool away from his eyes. Mind you, Jeff rested his legs on Alfie the other day and got a spit for it!
Alfie is not like a dog who loves to be cuddled and petted all the time. He likes his space. As his owners, we have a pretty good idea of what he likes, and when to leave him alone. He likes scratches (rather than stroking) on his neck and head, but can get annoyed with anything else.
Sometimes at the park or beach, when lots of people are around and trying to touch him, Alfie gets annoyed or shy, and will run to hide behind Jeff or myself.
The best way to approach Alfie is slowly and preferably crouching, from the front (he hates being snuck up on). Hold your hand out for him the sniff. He will be curious and check you out, and you might be able to get in a neck scratch! But if he's at the park, his curiosity will quickly dissipate in favour of his hunger, and he will go back to munching on the grass.
How long will Alfie live?
The expected lifespan of an alpaca is 15-20 years.
Why does Alfie have a tag on his ear?
In Australia, breeders tag their alpacas so they can keep track of their herd. We haven't removed it because it's not easy to take off like an earring is. It would probably need to be surgically removed. However, it does not cause him any pain or discomfort.
What has been the downside to having an alpaca as a pet?
A backyard that will never be as lush. Our lawn is struggling, there is hay all over the place, and a big dung pile right in the middle!
Aside from that, the only other downside has been negativity on social media. Mainly, people who think we're stupid and just bought Alfie to make money and achieve Instagram fame. Truth be told, we have been totally shocked by the overwhelming love for Alfie online. We're happy to make others smile, and are not interested in making money out of it.
Many alpaca owners from the US alert each other when an Alfie video has gone up on Facebook, and they all come over to sabotage the comment section, which is why the "top comments" have been quite negative on those posts. They are very open about their disapproval of Alfie, but there's also lots of contradiction in those groups that have made us question the validity of those opinions. At the end of the day, very little research has gone into investigating how single alpacas raised as pets, with boundaries and responsible owners, manage in the long run. I suppose you could say we are taking a risk, but it is one we are willing to take.
How big is your backyard?
About 8x16 metres. It's mostly lawn.
Alpacas come under the category of "livestock" on our local council website. As such, we are allowed to have him as long as he doesn't wander the neighbourhood unrestrained, create disruptive noise, or smell.
Some countries have stricter laws on alpaca ownership, and you are required to have at least two or three. Many alpaca farmers will refuse to sell a single alpaca, as they are better purchased in pairs. In fact, in America - if you ring a farm asking for single baby alpaca, you're likely to get hung up on straight away.
Australia is a bit more...relaxed. We know a few families with a single alpaca, and we have spoken to them about managing Alfie's needs.
However, we did register him with PIRSA (the biosecurity department):
www.pir.sa.gov.au/biosecurity/animal_health/alpaca
Will you have to get Alfie shorn?
Yes, once annually before summer. He had his first shearing on the 2nd January, 2019. We took him to an alpaca farm to be shorn by a professional. It was very quick and Alfie behaved beautifully, keeping calm for the entire procedure. It cost $35 Australian dollars and we got to keep the wool.
The second time was October 2019. Jeff did it himself over the course of two hours, with scissors!
What will you do with Alfie’s wool?
I gave it to a friend who is retired and enjoys knitting. We've now got a second batch that we're not sure what to do with.
What does he eat?
He eats our lawn! We also provide oaten hay. He likes the green seedy bits the most. He drinks water occasionally, but not often - although we always leave him a plenty to drink. He also loves lettuce and grated carrot.
How much does he eat?
Alpacas eat 2% of their body weight, per day. Alfie weighs 44 kilograms (Nov 2019).
Is he toilet trained?
Alpacas "toilet" in the same spot and don't need training. Alfie has chosen the middle of the lawn, unfortunately. However, if he is inside or we are out, he will "hold it" until we get home and go straight to his spot. It's amazing.
What is the difference between alpacas and llamas?
Although very similar to the alpaca, llamas are larger with longer snouts and tall ears. They are more aggressive and often used as guard animals or to carry things. Alpacas are bred for their wool.
Does Alfie spit?
With alpacas, the "spit" is actually an acidic blob of partially digested grass brought up from the stomach and hurled at other alpacas during fights (Fields, 2014). Alpacas rarely spit at humans. So far, we have only experienced several spits. Each time, it was because he was annoyed with how he was being touched or approached.
How much do alpacas cost?
Alfie cost us $550 Australian dollars. He is a non-breeding male due to undesirable genes, so was sold as a pet. Females and breeding males cost a lot more (into the thousands).
Where did you get Alfie?
An alpaca farm in Australia.
Is Alfie a "house" alpaca?
Alfie spends most of his time in our backyard munching away. However, he loves coming inside to hang out with us in the lounge in the evenings after his walk, or if it's raining.
Why does Alfie have a collar instead of a halter?
We haven't tried a halter on Alfie. Alfie follows Jeff willingly and doesn't need to be "yanked". Sometimes on a walk, Alfie will stop to look around. In these cases, a light tap on the bottom gets him moving again.
How old is Alfie?
We don't know! He is somewhere between six months to one year. He was weaned when we bought him in September of 2018, which means he must have been at least six months old then.
Did you save Alfie from the butcher?
One of the popular Facebook videos of Alfie that went viral claimed that Jeff rescued Alfie from being butchered. This is not exactly true. Alfie grew up on an alpaca farm and was likely to be butchered after several years, as he was not going to be used for breeding.
In Australia, the alpaca meat industry is growing, so this is considered a business-savvy add-on for some alpaca farmers. I was watching the Food Network the other day, and there was a chef showing how to roast alpaca meat! We are not vegetarian or vegan, so don't feel we have a right to be outraged about this if we then go home and have lamb or beef for dinner! The Australian outback is overrun with camels, so it's not difficult to get camel meat from the Adelaide Central Markets and specialty butchers. Since alpacas are in the camelid family, eating alpaca meat is not considered an outrageous notion in Australia.
So in short - although the Facebook video made Jeff look like a saviour - that's not really true. Jeff didn't buy him to "save" him. Jeff bought Alfie to love him as a pet.
Does Alfie have any alpaca friends?
Yes. We have taken Alfie to meet several alpacas since we bought him. We plan regular "play dates" so that Alfie can interact with his kind. "Taco the Alpaco" is our favourite! Although, it must be said that although there are moments of curiosity, there's hasn't been any significant bonding with other alpacas. Alfie doesn't seem to care that much, which surprised us.
Don't alpacas die of depression due to loneliness?
If an alpaca was left alone in a field, with no interaction, then of course it would get lonely - as a dog would! Alfie is not alone; he gets lots of interactions with humans, dogs and our bunnies. He has not exhibited any signs of depression. However, we do acknowledge that alpacas SHOULD be purchased in pairs. We try to make up for this by taking him for a walk every day and spending as much time with him as possible. If Alfie ever started to show signs of depression, we would seriously look into getting another.
After much research, we've learned that alpacas need to be in a herd because they take it in turns sleeping at night so that there is always someone "keeping watch" to protect the herd. If an alpaca is alone at night, they can't get a restful sleep. We don't think lone alpacas "die of depression" - it's more likely caused by stress from sleep deprivation. Our backyard is fully contained, so Alfie has never been frightful sleeping at night. However, lately he has been sleeping inside by Jeff's side. This is something that Jeff (perhaps foolishly) encouraged Alfie to do, and now it's become a habit! He sleeps very soundly.
Male alpacas who are raised by humans can develop berserk male syndrome. Aren't you in danger?
We asked the alpaca farmer about this and researched extensively, as this was a concern of ours, too. However, since Alfie was weaned when we bought him, and we have had him desexed early, the farmer said it was highly unlikely that Alfie would get it. It's much more common with bottle-fed alpacas that have not been castrated before puberty.
Several alpaca farmers have found us online and expressed concern. Although this has worried us from time to time, and we acknowledge that these people have a lot more experience than us, we have found very little research about alpacas being raised in a home environment - like a family dog. It seems to be uncharted territory. The vast majority of "pet" alpaca owners (single alpacas in a pet environment rather than managing a herd) we have spoken to have had no issue with berserk syndrome. The ones who have experienced it noticed gradual changes in personality due to the frequent and intimate interactions with the animal, with time for disciplinary actions at its onset.
There is plenty of academic evidence to support berserk syndrome, but that is almost always in a "natural" environment, with all other herd animals removed, rather than a domestic environment with different rules and structures. Having said that, all the domestic alpaca owners we have reached out to have mentioned that they do well provided they are given and taught boundaries, as you would with any animal you let in the house, as well as providing stimulation and interaction to prevent boredom and the destructive tendencies that come with it.
We notice that Alfie is most lonely at night, and has taken to sleeping inside in the lounge room. After dark, he is definitely more clingy and will come inside and settle down if we leave the door open. Otherwise, there are times when he is excited to see us, and times when he couldn't care less for attention.
Regardless, he has picked up way more than we had anticipated. He knows having the lead attached means to follow and has learnt Jeff's verbal commands to slow down or speed up without having to apply pressure on the lead.
Several people noticed our video with Alfie jumping up onto Jeff. Alfie does this at the beginning of his walk to the park (every time!). These are playful, excited jumps. We have seen Alfie jump up aggressively twice (a sign of dominance) and there is a big difference. We make sure Alfie knows that we do not tolerate aggressive behaviour.
How do you keep Alfie cool on hot summer days?
Alpacas need shade in the summer to escape the heat of the day, but even on the hottest days you'll find them lying on their sides taking in the full sun. Like cats, alpacas love a good sun bath and will stay there until their fleece is almost too hot to touch (Fields, 2014). On really hot days, we turn on the misters and provide a shallow baby pool which Alfie likes to sit in. He has also sat on our sprinkler a few times! Obviously his recent shearing will help him to keep cool, too.
How do you manage Alfie's health?
It is important to us to cultivate a good working knowledge of alpaca healthcare needs so that we can make good decisions about Alfie's welfare. So far, his vaccinations, shearing and gelding were a part of that. He has also had a vitamin D injection to prevent rickets.
Does Alfie like to be touched and cuddled?
In general, alpacas are wary of humans. They do not like to be grabbed and there are areas of the body (feet, lower legs and abdomen) where they do not like to be touched (I got kicked for stroking his stomach!). If handled well, they will interact peacefully with humans, but they won't come when they are called like dogs or cats, nor do they really like much in way of petting. An alpaca's love language is "time spent" - this builds trust.
Some individuals are more affectionate than others. As for Alfie specifically, he doesn't like to be touched while he is eating, but when he sits down, Jeff and I can cuddle and pat him and he doesn't mind. In fact, we have found the spots where he loves to be scratched. Alfie is especially trusting of Jeff and will let him do nearly anything, including cutting the wool away from his eyes. Mind you, Jeff rested his legs on Alfie the other day and got a spit for it!
Alfie is not like a dog who loves to be cuddled and petted all the time. He likes his space. As his owners, we have a pretty good idea of what he likes, and when to leave him alone. He likes scratches (rather than stroking) on his neck and head, but can get annoyed with anything else.
Sometimes at the park or beach, when lots of people are around and trying to touch him, Alfie gets annoyed or shy, and will run to hide behind Jeff or myself.
The best way to approach Alfie is slowly and preferably crouching, from the front (he hates being snuck up on). Hold your hand out for him the sniff. He will be curious and check you out, and you might be able to get in a neck scratch! But if he's at the park, his curiosity will quickly dissipate in favour of his hunger, and he will go back to munching on the grass.
How long will Alfie live?
The expected lifespan of an alpaca is 15-20 years.
Why does Alfie have a tag on his ear?
In Australia, breeders tag their alpacas so they can keep track of their herd. We haven't removed it because it's not easy to take off like an earring is. It would probably need to be surgically removed. However, it does not cause him any pain or discomfort.
What has been the downside to having an alpaca as a pet?
A backyard that will never be as lush. Our lawn is struggling, there is hay all over the place, and a big dung pile right in the middle!
Aside from that, the only other downside has been negativity on social media. Mainly, people who think we're stupid and just bought Alfie to make money and achieve Instagram fame. Truth be told, we have been totally shocked by the overwhelming love for Alfie online. We're happy to make others smile, and are not interested in making money out of it.
Many alpaca owners from the US alert each other when an Alfie video has gone up on Facebook, and they all come over to sabotage the comment section, which is why the "top comments" have been quite negative on those posts. They are very open about their disapproval of Alfie, but there's also lots of contradiction in those groups that have made us question the validity of those opinions. At the end of the day, very little research has gone into investigating how single alpacas raised as pets, with boundaries and responsible owners, manage in the long run. I suppose you could say we are taking a risk, but it is one we are willing to take.
How big is your backyard?
About 8x16 metres. It's mostly lawn.
References:
Fields, Harry, 2014, Alpaca Keeping, World Ideas Ltd.
Fields, Harry, 2014, Alpaca Keeping, World Ideas Ltd.