Years ago I got my boys a Pot Belly Pig. She was supposed to be a miniature....300 pounds later, she obviously wasn't! Her name was Morticia, "Tish" or "Ta-Ta" for short. She loved peanuts in the shell. But she didn't eat the shell, she spit them out the side of her mouth after getting the peanuts out of it. The boys loved watching her do that. She lived to be about 12 years old before she passed. By that time she was living with my boys' father, who called me to tell me she'd passed. I hadn't seen her in years, but I was still very saddened to hear the news. She was a real trip to be around.
Well, ever since she had moved in with the first husband I had been wanting another one. My husband thought I was crazy, but he loves animals too and so wasn't against the idea. We didn't go looking for one we just happened to be given one by our neighbors who have been given one by an elderly couple who had to be placed in a nursing home. And of course their baby, their pig, couldn't go with them. We don't know what her name was, they never asked, so we named her "Amanda".
So we gladly moved her up here and began the "new animal in the house" introductions and acclimations. The four dogs weren't too sure what to think, but they've finally gotten used to her. Although Little Man (JuJu) will light into her sometimes with a vengeance. She has a pen outside that she stays in when we're going to be gone for a while. Or she's placed in the bathroom if it's for only a short while.
She "sits" and/or "stands tall" for treats, which she gets every time she goes outside to potty and comes back in without a hassle. Which thankfully isn't as often any more. When she wants to go out to "play" in her pen she heads straight up there and I feed her there instead of in the house. She has a little "house" with a cushion and a blanket so she can enjoy the morning sun. She roots around the pen digging up grass roots and what ever else she finds. Basically, hanging out in the pen is her "being a pig" time. :)
Amanda also loves blankets and cushy bedding. Oh. And she loves to sleep with her head on a pillow! She has also taken to occasionally wanting to be with us when we sit and watch TV. She gets up on the ottoman, lays down, and stays there until we get up to go to bed.
Sows go into heat every 3 weeks, and after that first one, well that was IT. We made an appointment to have her spayed. LOL That was the best decision we ever made! Her humping everything she was attracted to was just too much of a pain in the ass. Never mind trying to keep her heavy ass from humping hubby's leg all the time. Oh, yeah and the old sea trunk that has a goat skin covering it. She really found that thing attractive! Unfortunately she would slide on the wood floors and she would fall all splayed out on the floor, get up and try again - and fall...again! Very noisy, very aggravating. So for her comfort and our peace (and quiet) of mind, she got fixed!
She's now a permanent member of the family and will travel with us when we move to Kansas (that trip should be a real joy! LOL)
So, meet Amanda:
So, that's Amanda, our new house pig and newest member of the family!
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