Livestock animals

"We don't watch TV, but we never miss the distraction — the animals provide a nonstop source of entertainment, " says Susan Thomas of the 78 beloved creatures that share her 240-acre Missouri farmstead. "There's nothing like watching five donkeys play Follow the Leader at top speed." Susan's blog, Farmgirl Fare (farmgirlfare.com), is filled with posts about her herd of pets, which includes dogs, cats, sheep, chickens, donkeys — and this spring, goats. So can livestock really steal your heart the way a pooch does? Absolutely, says Susan — farm animals are surprisingly affectionate. Describing Cary, a lamb she raised from infancy, Susan recalls: "For the first five months of her life, she thought I was her mommy." The sweet baby lamb loved to follow the blogger wherever she went, even earning a nickname — the Living Room Lamb — because she would often curl up at Susan's feet while she typed away at her computer!

Donkeys

Donkeys like to stop and study new situations, which can seem like stubbornness, but "they love attention, " says Susan.