Unusual pets dot county's landscape

Kathie and Steve Haber, of Ha Ha Farm, breed, raise and show alpacas and llamas. (T-G Photo by Sadie Fowler) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

But did you know Shelbyville is also home to a group of camels? Buffalo, llamas, alpacas and other interesting and unusual pets can also be seen locally.

"I knew I wanted to do something with animals when I retired, but I thought I'd raise German Shepherds," said Kathie Haber. "But somehow I fell in love with these animals."

Camelids

Haber, along with her husband Steve, owns Ha Ha Farms Shelbyville. After retiring in New Hampshire, the Habers moved to Tennessee in 2000; they say it was the perfect place for them to raise and breed their alpacas and llamas, which they got into upon retiring.

Llamas and alpacas (alpacas resemble llamas, but they're smaller) are popular in Peru, Bolivia and Chile, Haber said, and they're very easy to take care of. In their approximate 25-year life span, they're happy to graze in the pastures, although the Habers also feed their animals grain.

The Habers currently have eight llamas and 13 alpacas, which they breed, raise and show. Their 21 animals are separated into two herds, females and males.

"The llama industry is just getting into fiber," Haber said. "The alpaca fiber is fine and dense, and very lightweight. And people who are allergic to wool tend to not be allergic to it."

Haber dyes her own fiber and makes yarn. She also sells socks, hats, coats and other clothing items. She will have some of those items for sale at the Festival of Trees Saturday.

Haber says the two breeds -- both a part of the camelid family -- go hand in hand, although llamas are more independent than the alpacas, which are pack animals. The couple first became interested in the alpaca breed, but learned they needed a llama, too.

"You can have just one llama ... If you want to show alpacas, though, you need guard llamas," Haber said. "Llamas are guard dogs, so to speak ... the word has sort of spread (to local dogs who might be apt to bother her herds) in the neighborhood."

While their defense mechanisms include charging and kicking, she said her animals have a good temperament.

"Both are very gentle," Haber said. "I like their calmness. If I have a stressful day I like to go sit with them and knit. It's very relaxing. They're also inquisitive, especially the alpacas ... they're extremely intelligent."

Ted, one of two buffalo owned by Kim and Steve Smith, can be seen at Cedar Rock Hunting Preserve on Warners Bridge Road. (T-G Photo by Jaime Welsh) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

Buffalo

In another corner of the county, you'll find Bill and Ted grazing the pastures of Cedar Rock Hunting Preserve, owned by Steve and Kim Smith, on Warners Bridge Road.

Bill and Ted are twin Buffalos, and they've been part of the Smith family for about five years, ever since they were six months old.

"They came from a farm in south Franklin," Kim said. "We were looking for something to keep our ostrich company. Steve was driving by one day and saw the buffalo. He called me and said, 'how about two 6-month-old buffalo?"

Kim said Bill and Ted are both friendly, and enjoy a little roughhousing by sparring each other with their horns.

"Bill is the more dominant one of the two," said Kim. "But they're both very friendly."

Their diet consists of grass, cattle feed, and pumpkins left over from Cedar Rock's pumpkin patch every year.

The cold winter months ahead will be no problem for these animals, who've got thick coats to keep them warm. Hot weather, however, is a little more challenging for them, although they do shed their winter coats prior to summer.

Several years ago, Mary Prince nursed two bobcats back to good health. (Submitted photo) [Click to enlarge]

Bobcats

Rowdy and Boo Boo weren't exactly house cats, but will always have a special place in Mary Prince's heart.

Four years ago, Prince's neighbor accidentally ran over a den of bobcats while bushhogging his field, killing the mother. Two of the cats in the litter survived.

"They were as tiny as they could be," said Prince. "It was like holding a little mouse."

Prince couldn't help but intervene.

"I went to Wal-Mart and got formula and raised them like kittens," Prince said. "That's all we knew to do."

The Princes' Siberian Husky befriended them, too.

"They got along so well," Prince said. "She took care of them like they were her own puppies."

As they grew, Rowdy and Boo Boo ate hamburger meat -- and a lot of it -- and whatever else the Princes could get on sale from their local butcher.

But bobcats aren't domesticated cats, and Prince said the older they got, the more aggressive they became.

"After they got big enough to fend for themselves they wanted to be outside more," she said, claiming that prior to this they were indoor/outdoor cats. "One day I came home and they were gone."

Prince says she misses seeing them terribly, but hopes they are enjoying life in the wilderness, where they're meant to be, she said.

Bearded dragons

Not all pets have fur, like Spike, Ashlee Sons' bearded dragon, for example.

"He's probably the best pet I've ever had," said Sons. "Bearded dragons are great pets and my children love him."

The Sons family purchased 3-month-old Spike a few weeks ago from a pet store in Murfreesboro for $60.

"We were looking for a new pet and my husband said, 'Instead of a dog, let's get a bearded dragon,'" she said.

His diet consists of crickets and bugs; he usually eats about one cricket a day.

Bearded dragons have a life span of about five to 10 years and they usually grow to be between 20 and 30 inches long.

In looking at Spike, one may be tempted to ask why he's called a "bearded" dragon, because he doesn't look like Santa Claus.

"His beard will only come out when he's mad," Sons said. "I've never seen him get upset."

Cheryl and Casey Richardson rescue all kinds of animals, including geckos. (Submitted photo) [Click to enlarge]

Geckos

Well-known Bedford County dog and cat lover Cheryl Richardson, and her husband, Casey, also adore their furless friends, which consist of seven leopard geckos and two crested geckos.

"Yes, they really are pets, and yes, we do love them like our dogs and cats," Cheryl said. "You just have to realize that they are a different kind of pet. Some breeds like to be handled and some do not. All of our leopards are really friendly."

The Richardsons have two different kinds of captive bred geckos, leopard geckos and New Caledonian crested geckos.

Both types are nocturnal, but very different. The leopard geckos, a great gecko for beginners, can be found mostly in dry, hot climates.

"They are mostly ground dwellers and don't climb very well," Cheryl said. "They eat crickets, wax worms and meal worms ... They live for up to 20 years."

Cheryl said female geckos can reside together in one cage, however, males must be housed separately because they will fight.

New Caledonian crested geckos look completely different than leopard geckos (they have very big heads with little frills over their eye lashes) and live in moist, warm tropical climates, Cheryl said.

"These little guys are big climbers," Cheryl said. "They are also big jumpers, so you have to be careful when you take them out and handle them."

One thing they do have in common with the leopard Geckos, she said, is that they live to be about 15 to 20 years old.

Like their rescued dogs and cats, Cheryl and Casey give their geckos lots of love and attention.

"They love to ride around the house on your shoulder," she said. "The cresteds are good about being handled, but you have to be careful because they jump so easily and are easy to lose in the house that way ... We interact with them to keep them social."

-- T-G editorial assistant Jaime Welsh contributed to this story.