Life with Pigs Farm Animal Sanctuary located in Williamsburg, VA
|
|
|
The Ultimate Guide to Living with Pet Pigs in Your Home (Part 3) Can mini pigs be destructive? Will they chew on things? Yes, it is as simple as that. Pigs will be pigs. Even our youngest pig Millie at a mere 20 pounds can definitely make a mess or chew up a chord or the stray item when the opportunity presents itself. And our largest pig, Pumpkin, has ripped several holes in our couch. And Charlotte has been known to take down a trash can to search out any edible thing she can find. Below is Millie snuggled into the stuffing of the couch after Pumpkin ripped hole. So, if you are very concerned about keeping a flawless house in which things are never damaged or broken, then pigs are not an ideal companion animal for you. Some pigs will attempt to rip up flooring or chew on the walls. This is especially true if the pigs are bored and not provided with adequate stimulation. And most pigs naturally have a rooting instinct. Some pigs have been known to find weakness in flooring and root up portions of the floor. Pigs will need to be provided with an outdoor space where they can root up a yard in places. This clearly will not work in shared yards like in a condo or apartment complex. One way to satisfy a rooting instinct indoors is by providing the pigs with a rooting box. This can contain play balls or smooth stones that your pig can root around in for treats. For many pigs, this will help alleviate their need to root and help protect your flooring.  I must really stress that choosing to adopt a pig is a major life decision. It is not something you should do on a whim. Pigs can live for 20 years or more and become very attached to their families. Abandoning a pig can lead to depression or stress for the pig. Sometimes this cannot be avoided, but you owe it to the pig to make sure you are as well informed as you can be about making this decision. If you are prepared to take things as they come and work with your pigs when they get a little destructive, the rewards of living with pigs are definitely worth the trade off. Pumpkin, Charlotte, and Millie are three of my best friends in the world. I gladly live with a less than perfect home in exchange for having them around everyday! But, this is definitely not an ideal choice for everyone. And there is no guarantee of how easy or difficult your pig will be. Just like adopting a dog, cat, or child, adopting a pig is a serious choice that should not be made lightly. And just like with dogs and cats, so many pigs out there are in need of homes already. So please adopt, don't shop! Check Out These Great Photos of Pig Destruction Part 4: Does the Size of the Mini Pig Matter? 
5 Comments
Debbi Torres
1/6/2018 10:02:56 am
Well said....
Patty & Charlotte
1/6/2018 01:48:55 pm
So TRUE! HI! We are in Newport News!
Erin Barnes
11/1/2021 07:02:27 am
I am having trouble with our 9 month old pig Winnie chewing up our kitchen flooring. It's just the laminate soft kitchen flooring and she'll find a weakness or end and tear big chunks out of it. She lives indoors but we do allow her outside for about 4 hrs a day. When my husband and I are at work and the kid's are at school, I'm afraid to leave her outside alone. I do check on her about 4/5 hrs after I leave for work on my lunch break (she stays inside during our hrs away). She doesn't like crates, they scare her. She's very smart and learned when she's in crate, she's alone. So we barrier our rooms with chair's so she can roam 2 rooms of our house while we are gone. She mostly chews on the floors while we are home though. I'm going to look into getting a rooting box for inside, any suggestions or tips where to put her during the day, as winter approaches she won't be outside as much (I do have a coat she wears in rain) that could keep her warm, but what can I do if we can't crate her during day while we're gone? I've tried a few dog toys that she work's at to get food out to occupy herself, but that only lasts so long. As well as when we leave for family outings we can't stay gone long for fear she'll get bored and damage house?? Suggestions for time's we are gone to keep her busy and how to keep her confined better and safer?? Leave a Reply. |
RSS Feed