My Mom and Dad were getting ready to have another baby. The farmer and his wife wanted a girl, a jenny, they call the females. They think they are easier than us jacks. The farmer's wife saw an ad on Facebook from a woman looking for 2 mini-donkeys and she contacted her. A meeting was set up for approximately a week later.
That night the farmer took my brother from my Mom and let him come play with me. He was still nursing, but if you ask me, at 9 months, he was plenty old enough to quit. He snuck over by her a lot and nursed through the fence, but it was probably best for her if he stopped since we have another sibling coming. He needs to grow up sometime.
The lady and her husband came to the farm as planned and I could tell she thought we were the cutest things in the world. Who wouldn't? She asked a LOT of questions about our care and they took a tour around the farm and even got to see my Dad and Mom. Dad was over by the chicken coop because they had a problem with foxes, but after my brother and I left, he was going to move back by Mom.
I guess the lady, Pamela was her name, wanted us because the next morning the farmer loaded me and my brother up in the back of the trailer and took us for a ride to her place. It was scary, but we didn't say anything. It took about an hour and when we finally got there, I was a little bit more than relieved!
They brought us over to our new pen. It was pretty big with cedars and oaks and all sorts of green stuff to chew on. I liked it. My brother wasn't so sure, but he didn't hate it. The farmer left and we investigated our new home.
Things were different here than on the farm. First off, I had always been called JT and Pamela insisted on calling me Cletus. I had no idea who she was talking to at first. My brother's name was Jack, and she called him Jethro. I tried showing her how friendly I was, but I could tell she was a little nervous. We were, too.
Pamela came out to see us a lot. She brought orange colored sticks for us and I didn't know if I was supposed to eat them or what. She left them on the ground and I figured out pretty quick they were delicious! I took whatever she offered after that! Pamela and her husband, JR, spent a good part of their days with us. I could tell she was getting more comfortable and liking us more and more. I liked her, too. I loved licking her, but she would always laugh and push my tongue away. Jethro was getting much more chummy with her, too. She took off our halters every night and put them back on in the morning, which I thought was so comfortable, since I had never had mine off before.
We are near 2 rabbits in a big cage who are pretty quiet. They stare at us sometimes, but mostly ignore us. There are 3 dogs who come around, too. I am not a fan, especially the one called Dilbert. He is so loud and runs at us until he hits the fence. It always startles me and makes me jump. The other two dogs are OK. Barnaby comes into the pen sometimes, but he keeps his distance which is fine with me. The only times Dilbert has been in the pen is when Pamela has him on a leash and he is still annoying!
After about a week a guy drove up in a truck with a woman. I didn't quite know what to think of him, but Jethro sensed something because he was acting a bit skittish. My brother and I got some caramel tasting stuff, it's supposed to get rid of worms if we had any. I would be happy to take that with or without worms. It was great!
The man kept trying to poke me in the neck. I couldn't figure out why he thought I was going to stand there all still when he was poking me. He tried and tried and finally the woman who was with him ran around the yard with me a bunch. They were trying to tire me out, but it wasn't me who was breathing hard. The man decided to poke me with a needle somewhere else. "What was his deal???" I started getting really tired and darned if he didn't poke me in the neck again. Minutes later, I had a seizure, I think that's what they called it. Pamela yelled something and ran up on her porch, then the man came and gave me ANOTHER shot of something called valium. It's probably a good thing, because it made my seizure stop. That's all I remember until I woke up.
I was feeling pretty good, no pain, but very wobbly. I could tell Pamela was very concerned though because she didn't have her nice face on, it was all scrunched up and she wouldn't take her eyes off me. The man and the woman left in the truck and Pamela sat with me outside for most of the day. Jethro wouldn't go near her. I guess he watched my "seizure" and thought she did it. He told me later he had to have some shots, too; rabies, tetanus and some horse type shot, so we stay healthy. I slept a lot that day.
The next morning I woke up and felt like someone had cut my testicles off! I was NOT happy and felt horrible! Jethro kept checking me out and I told him if he didn't stop I was going to kick him in the face. He said it was so disgusting, he couldn't help himself! There was a large opening and even though Pamela tried to keep me walking around, it swelled up HUGE. And then it started to smell. Pamela called the man and he told her to come get some sulfur pills to help with any infection I might have.
That night I got some funny tasting bananas, but they were still pretty good, so I ate them. The next few nights I got applesauce on my grain. That was excellent! Jethro didn't get any, so I bet Pamela felt bad that I didn't feel good, which is why I got the special treats and he didn't. Too bad for him!
We get to go on long walks most days. Pamela takes me with a lead rope and Jethro follows us around. If we get too far ahead of him, he runs really fast up where we are.
Pamela brushes us and scratches our backs. She brings us tasty foods and fresh water and hay. Most days she makes us lift our feet and she cleans out our hooves. I do NOT like that at all, but I will do it for her. She does give me a grape after each foot, after all.
Last week a different man came in a truck. Once again, Jethro was upset. I don't know why he was so worried when it was me who had the short end of the stick last time! This man wanted us to pick up our feet, but when Jethro did, he didn't just pick out the stuff, he cut off part of his hoof and filed it. Pamela was giving Jethro a lot of grapes and scratching his head, telling him what a good boy he was. I could tell he hated it, but the guy was quiet and very calm and did his work fast. It was over quickly.
Then it was my turn. Uh, I don't think so. I kicked a little and twisted, but I could tell I wasn't going to get anywhere. JR tried to hold me still, but I weigh more than him. It was a little funny. I looked at Pamela and she told me to stay still and it would be over real fast. She said my feet would feel better, but my feet didn't hurt! She gave me a grape, so I thought about it for a minute and decided to be good. I willed that quiet guy to hurry and he was pretty fast. He wasn't here near as long as the last man and it didn't hurt either. I hope he stays away though.
We have had different people come see us since being here. Pamela's daughter, Morgan, and Pamela's sister Brenda and her daughter, Peyton. They all think we are pretty cool. What can I say?
Today I got to meet the big white horse next door named Pepper through the fence. She was such a show off! She ran past us and kicked up her heels and stopped and blew air out her nose at us. Jethro was a bit shy, but I walked right up to her and she touched my nose with hers. She seems like an OK girl. I hope I see her again.
I like it here. I think I will stay. Jethro told me he likes it here, too.
