A woman has revealed that she spends over £8,000 per year taking care of her animals and dressing them up in themed costumes – with people calling her “crazy.”
Growing up, Kahle Boutte was “obsessed” with llamas and always dreamed of having one as a pet when she got older.
After her uncle, Steve, passed away in 2008, she and her partner, Andy, 35, purchased his farm and knew this would be the perfect opportunity for her wish to come true while honouring his legacy.
The former music therapist initially purchased two llamas, Apple Jack and Ollie, but had no idea what to expect.
Now, four years later, the 37-year-old owns 11 of the fluffy animals and even dresses them up in costumes, with one clip on TikTok racking up 10 million views and 632,000 likes – but it doesn’t come cheap.
“For general care, it can fluctuate between $7,000 (£5,000) to $10,000 (USD) (£7,000) per year and costumes cost up to $2,000 (USD) (£1,000) every year depending on the events and themes,” Kahle told NeedToKnow.co.uk.
“However, our events with decor on the farm can incur costs of up to $600 (USD) (£400) a month.
“I could probably enjoy a few trips per year to the tropics or buy an actual truck and trailer for the llamas verses driving them around in the minivan for this price.
“Our small business helps cover some expenses, certainly the rising costs of animal care, which can be tough to deal with during inflation.
“But the cost of caring for these animals is worth it for the wellness and happiness they bring to us.
“A lot of the time, we just purchase human costumes and alter them ourselves.
“I’m not a craft person, so it requires a lot of time, hard work, hot glue and bobby pins.
“Sometimes, I wish we had just hired out the costumes, because we’ve got a basement full of llama ones now.”
Since starting up her small business, Kahle claims she’s been dubbed the “crazy llama lady and says that people don’t always agree with her dressing up the animals – but this doesn’t bother her.
She said: “Most of the response has been positive, but certainly some people don’t agree with dressing up animals in any way and can be offensive online about it.
“There are even strong opinions we hear about not keeping them as a domesticated animal, but there are over 160,000 llamas living as this in the US aline.
“They are companions and helping animals, just like dogs.
“At the end of the day, our llamas are first and foremost our pets who we care for deeply and it’s not like we’re making them wear costumes for days at a time or subjecting them to harsh working conditions.”
The 37-year-old, from Iowa, US, shares videos of their adventures on TikTok, (@prairiepatchfarm), with their 114,000 followers.
In their most popular video, Ollie can be seen dressed up as Wednesday Addams, with matching black plaits and outfit, and giving a cheeky wink.
Users have flocked to the comments to share their reactions, with many left in stitches.
Mad said: “I thought it was the real Wednesday.”
Sav wrote: “This just made my day.”
“I already have a belly ache from laughing,” someone else added.
Another person wrote: ‘Was I the only one waiting for her to start dancing?”
Someone else commented:”Awww omg that’s so cute.” [sic]
Kahle said: “I experience the joy of llamas, but also sharing with others is so rewarding because it makes everyone happy.
“Llamas are very respected animals in South America, so we like to honour the animals and their culture by educating people about where they came from.
“Originally, we had been offering people the chance to walk with them, but due to restrictions with lockdown, this wasn’t possible, so I wanted to find a new way to bring happiness.
“The flower crowns turned into full-blown costumes for Halloween and Christmas.
“Now, they’ve dressed up as people from The Wizard of Oz and Frozen, as well as pirates, the Spice Girls and The Little Mermaid, which people love.
“I started posting photos of them to social media and took them to schools, rehab facilities and nursing homes for a pick-me-up.
“I must’ve looked quite a sight driving around in my minivan with a llama strapped into the back seat.”
Now, Apple Jack, Poet, Earl, Albie, Fable, Simon, Sully, Ollie, Willoughby, Huckleberri and Bootleg Benny, who she describes as inspiring, take part in other events, such as themed yoga and immersive camping exercises.
The 37-year-old claims it’s a “dream come true” and it’s all because of her uncle, who she aims to honour with the llama farm.
Kahle added: “I wanted to honour my uncle after he passed away and I’m glad I’ve been able to do this with the help of his much-loved farm.
“You never know where your life is going to take you.
“I studied music therapy for several years and it is so wild to see how my life has completely changed.
“As a kid, people always got me gifts of llamas and and I saw them in the mountains in Colorado where I grew up.
“I never thought my dream would happen, but now, I’m a country kid with my own farm, living out my childhood wish.
“A popular saying among the community is: ‘llamas are like potato chips, you can’t just have one.’
“My little superstars are so easy to take of and are simply just amazing.”
