Donkeys are cute fluffy creatures that a lot of people get as pets, but most people fail to understand the needs of the creature. There are so many things to know about donkeys that I can’t really put them all into this article. What I will be able to talk about though are important things to know when taking care of one, the animal’s nature, misconceptions of the animal due to how they are portrayed in stories and movies, and things to note when caring for them,  so here are a few surprising things to know about donkeys.

1.) They Are Smart Animals

The reason why donkeys are hard to teach sometimes is not because they are dumb, quite the opposite actually, the reason for this is that they recognize and understand things fairly well and get bored of things. Maybe a reward system would help you when teaching your donkey.

2.) Contrary to Popular Belief, They Are Not Stubborn

As stated in number one, the donkeys are smart, and this intelligence can be interpreted as stubbornness. If you’re donkey either runs away from the direction you are trying to pull it, or it won’t budge an inch, the donkey is most likely frightened and sense some sort of danger. It is best that you give it some space and be patient in this situation, if you force it to its perceived threat the donkey might get restless and attack.

3.) They Can Also Be Man’s Best friend

So yeah, they act pretty much like dogs in some aspects. Donkeys forms bonds with their owners that resembles that of dogs, and they approach you and interact with you more than a horse normally would. They can also be very calm and quite, this allows children to approach and be near them, and the donkey would be completely chill about it.

They don’t like strangers though, so good luck finding a vet that they will cooperate with.

If possible give the donkey a companion such as another donkey or a pony of similar size. If they are left without a companion they tend to become depressed, and possibly loud and irritable.

4.) They Actually Cost Money to Maintain

Have you ever owned a horse? Well I can tell you that it’s pretty expensive to have one, a good breed is like a sports car you have to feed and maintain even without using it. Though not as costly as taking care of a show horse, Donkeys needs to be maintained a similar way so that it can remain a happy healthy fella.

5.) They Shouldn’t Eat Too Much

Donkeys naturally live in areas that are not that rich in food, such as deserts. Feeding them something too high quality might be too much for them. If possible feed them barley hey, or if it is unavailable lower quality hey, preferably dry and sweet smelling.

6.) Don’t Get Them Wet

Have you seen the movie Gremlins? Well donkeys won’t multiply when they get wet, but they can get really sick. The animal is used to the dry desert, so if it’s ever going to rain allow the animal to take shelter, not in trees but actual shelter where they will not get wet.

Donkeys are wonderful pets that will love you back as long as you take care of it, just like any animal really. If you ever consider having one, be sure to research about the animal’s needs to be able to give it a healthy happy life with you, perhaps even a life as long as yours.