POT-BELLY PIGS FOR PETS

PORKY

This is my pot-belly and in The third photo his is really overweight. He has since been on a diet and has slimmed down considerably. At this weight, he did not want to walk very far - just slept most of the time and ate.

In the second photo, he is getting his yearly booster shots and it is right after he lost all his weight. He did not look very healthy to me, but the vet said he was great. The first picture shows his house and how he looks now after his flabby wrinkles filled out a bit. He and my shepherd do not like each other - they will fight. If the dog is out, Porky is in his pen - when it is time for Porky to come out and graze, the dog is ALWAYS in the house or the shop. Pigs and dogs generally get along, but in this case they were not raised together and so bicker back and forth through the fence.

He really is a great pig, but he will eat anything that you put in front of him (or that he finds). He is aptly named "Porky" and even slimmed down, he looks big.

We never had him in the house, mostly because he would sniff out my candy stash. So he was an outside pig and we had his own house built when he was a baby so that he would not get cold in the wintertime. Pigs love to push stuff around and we thought that he would like straw to sleep on, but he always pushed it out his door and never kept any inside, so we throw straw squares in his pen and he pushes it and breaks it all up just the way he wants it to be.

When Porky was small, I put a horse halter on him and took him for walks - my husband dubbed me "the pig-lady" This did not cause a divorce, although it should have. Porky is very content in his pen and has a double-walled, insulated house. Mind you, Porky only cost $40 to purchase plus shots - but his house cost $200. We have cold winters here and thought when he was little and alone, he would freeze to death - so we had a carpenter friend build the house.

He is quite comical and used to sit up for dogy treats or fruit - in the first picture, you can see he was too heavy and got to where he demanded his food with funny little squeeks and grunts.

Pot-Bellys have a thin coat of long rough hair with a ridge of thicker hair from snout to tail. In the summer they lose their hair and go bald. This did not happen to Porky until his second summer with us. We thought he was sick and rushed him to the vet. If you can imagine me shoving him in the backseat of my CHevy Cavalier - well, it was quite a chore. Anyway, he turned out to be just fine.

He likes to graze in the yard in the summertime and soak up the sun. When it is hot out, since pigs need skin protection, he dumps his water bowl, makes mud and rolls in it, he also loves to be hosed down. Porky does not like onions, garlic, cabbage, cauliflour, or mushrooms - but anything else is in danger of being consumed (including flowers) when he is grazing. His main diet is Mini-Pig food and rolled corn (looks like yellow oatmeal) and raw veges such as carrots.

Below are a few tips if you decide you want one of your own. One warning: A pig in good health lives for about 30 years, give or take. It is a gigantic responsibility on your part once you bring your baby home. Be aware that they will grow and not be little for long, so be sure you have a safe place BEFORE bringing him home and that it is large enough to keep him comfortable and safe.

ORIGIN OF THE POT-BELLIED PIG

They are known to have originated in Southeast Asia and China. Originally they were domesticated as house pets, but they were also used as food. They were introduced into Europe as exotic zoo exhibits and were found in Southeast Asian villages. They are very social and enjoy the companionship of people. In China they were reared as members of the family, much like our dogs and cats are today in the U.S.

AS PETS

They can be house pets, but need to be (and are easily) trained. Just as you would have a safe place outside, if your piglet is going to be an "in-the-house" pet you need to take extra precautions. For their health and safety, nothing - and I mean NOTHING can be left within reach that is edible. Also anything dangerous; such as, poisons, crayons, pins, small toys, balls, buttons, etc. must be kept out of their reach just as you would for a child. They are curious creatures and will taste everything to see what is edible. Keep in mind that pigs are persistent and can open cupboard doors (with their noses) if he catches a whiff of something that might be good to eat.