Pigs in the house – are you crazy?

sammy | Other Pets | March 25, 2009

Many people are getting potbellied pigs as pets. They originated in China and Southeast Asia thousands of years ago. Their history is quite amazing. In 1985, four boars and twelve sows were imported into Canada from Vietnam where they were raised as both food and pets. The first “pet pig” industry was born. Now, there are approximately 40,000 of these pets in Canada.

Pig Smarts/Pig Personality

Overall, pigs rank third in the animal kingdom in intelligence. The first are porpoises, then the chimpanzee, followed by the pig. In the domestic animal world, the pig reigns supreme. What is it about a pig that is so charming? The highly intelligent potbellied pig is clean, odorless, and quick on their feet. Considerably smaller than a standard American or European farm pig, most adult pot bellied pigs are about the size of a medium or large dog, although their weight is much denser. The average mature potbellied pig is about 95 to 150 pounds or more at maturity. Through selective breeding, smaller pigs can be 70 -110 pounds. Pot bellied pigs are considered fully-grown by six years of age and may live 15 to 20 years assuming they start out with the correct vaccinations, and are cared for properly.

Just as humans do, each of these gentle animals has their own unique personality. They are able to communicate using grunts, squeals but are not generally noisy. The quality they have is their ability to reason and problem solve. They will tell you when they need to go ‘potty’ or are happy, distressed, confused, or disoriented. They can play tag with your children, or swim in a pool. They can learn many of the tricks that a dog can learn. The only limitation they have is that their stature may prevent them from doing certain physical feats. Because they are so smart, it is easy to train them perform tricks for a food reward.

Preparing for “Pig Arrival”

Your house must be “pig proofed” as one would do for a toddler. When you arrive home with your piglet, remember that it is an adventure and it takes a little time for him to adapt. After you get him home, let him outside to do his business. After that, it is best to confine him in a small, enclosed area such as a bathroom or kitchen for a little while until he is comfortable. Speak gently and use quiet talk. Offer him food out of your hand. Once he does come to you, reach out, touch him gently, and speak to him in a calm manner. Spend some time with him in the beginning so he will learn to trust you. Generally, speaking, most potbellied pigs will co-habitate quite well with dogs, cats, snakes, rabbits, horses, or whatever.

A potbellied pig feels very vulnerable when his feet are not firmly planted on the ground. In the wild, predators swoop down and snatch them from above, so when a piglet is picked up that way, he is frightened. Instead, scoop him up from behind with one hand, and cradle his head with the other. This will make him feel more comfortable. Most pigs will adjust fine once they gain trust in you. Use food to coax him to where you want him to go. Don’t approach him too quickly. If you are training your pig, be very patient, use a food reward, repeat the training daily, keep the lessons short, but don’t overfeed during the training. Once one trick is learned, move to the next one.

It is instinctual for all pigs to root. Pot bellied pig roots less than other pigs. They will root for food or fun. If you have fresh sod or flowers, you might want to keep your pig away from them. If you provide an area of soft dirt for them, they will be happy.

There are a few basic items needed: a soft plastic or rubberized food bowl and a water dish. Your pig will probably play with his utensils and treat them as toys. If your piggy is an indoor pet, he will also need a special blanket or cushion for nighttime. You will want to have a harness if you want to take him for walks. There are special “potbellied harnesses” or a figure eight dog harness will work for some pigs. Your pig can be kept outside of the home, but many pet owners prefer to keep this pet inside the house much as you would a dog or cat.

Pig Eats

Pot bellied pigs love to eat. They need a good quality diet that is high in fiber and low in calories. This is usually available at feed or pet stores. You should feed half of the daily ration in the morning and the other half in the evening. They love fruit and vegetables and they love the same junk food you do, popcorn, marshmallows, ice cream, chocolate. Chocolate is very bad for them if eaten in large quantities, and salt in excess can cause salinic shock. Don’t feed your pig until its fat. A fat pig is an unhealthy pig.

Pig Clean and Hygiene

Pigs in general are extremely clean animals. They have no objectionable odor and they are very particular about where they ‘go potty’. They don’t like to go anywhere close to their sleeping or eating area, so it is fairly easy to train them to “potty” in a litter box, or outside. However, if he is restricted to certain areas of your house, then he will think that it is fine to go potty in the areas outside of his living area. When he does go where you want him to, reward with a food treat and a pat on the head. Due to their rooting behavior during their young and adolescent years, books, newspapers and loose materials will often find their way in front of the pigs’ nose to create a bedding area. Pigs don’t have pores, therefore they have no means of releasing heat from their bodies as we do. Mud is cool, and they find it comfortable in the aspect of reducing their body temperature. Potbellied pigs don’t have to have mud to cool down, most pigs love water and a children’s wading pool is perfect! They don’t shed, so you don’t have to worry about hair in the house and they don’t get fleas. Their skin is so thick, a tiny little, blood-sucking flea cannot get the blood supply it needs to survive. Goodbye fleas! Goodbye flea powders, dips, lotions, and sprays!

Pig Care

Most veterinarians will care for a potbellied pig. Potbellied pigs are commonly vaccinated for Leptospirosis. Other common vaccinations are for Erysipelas, Parvovirus, and Atrophic Rhinitis. Contact your local vet for more details.

There are hundreds of different plants which are quite toxic for these pets. These are just a few, Bleeding Heart, Carnation, Castor Beans, Delphinium, Geranium, Holly Berries, Ivy, Lily of the Valley, Milkweed, Morning Glory, the Potato plant and the Tulip.

Finally!

People that own these pets love them. However, they can be demanding pets and some owners are overwhelmed by their needs – as shown by an abundance of shelters overflowing with pigs. Pot bellied pigs are smart, fun and can a wonderful companion. If you think that you would like one, check out your nearest Rescue Center to see if there are any available to adopt. Be prepared to have the enjoyable experience of owning and loving a truly unique, special, fun, unpredictable, intelligent member of the family for a very long time.