Keeping it Real: Why Treating Your Pet Pig Like a Pig Matters

Recently I made a statement on social media that many pig owners and pig lovers did not like. So I am going to share what I said and why I said it. First of all, the statement I made was, “Pigs are not people. They do not need lunch or snacks.” Why did I say that? Well, It’s true. Pigs are not people, they are actually wild animals that have been domesticated within the past 40-50 years. In those years is when we started to bring pigs into our homes. Before that people raised pigs as livestock. Bringing pigs in the house changed the game for pigs. They began to be viewed as more of family members than they did farm pigs.  Pigs are more like a puppy or a dog in the house now. That has caused a lot of people to begin to treat them more like people or a family member. I am not opposed to pet pigs, I have several of my own. I am not saying we should treat our pigs like livestock, but when you really understand pigs and what anthropomorphising a pig does, you will understand that they do have emotions but they do not have the same needs as a human does. They do not need to be treated like people, and doing so can cause issues. Now, let’s talk about why. Pigs in the wild have 3 jobs, reproduce, hunt for food, and make a nest. These three instincts drive a pig. A pig has no control over these things. As we domesticate them, we don’t change their instinct. We may lessen them by a tiny bit but those instincts are still there. When we make them a pet we take away their jobs. This causes a pig to become bored, destructive and even aggressive. We love our pigs and we want to provide them with the best kind of nutrition but you have to think about the repercussions of this. If you feed your pig constantly throughout the day your pig will become dependent on that. It will become a routine of eating all day long and it will make it very difficult to take care of them. Two meals a day is all a pig needs. The more you feed them will make them become more entitled towards food and very food aggressive. When it comes to snacks, I did not mean treats. In my opinion, treats are for training and for keeping your pig busy. I am very methodical when it comes to giving my pigs treats. They have a purpose. A treat is a reward for doing something hard or to reinforce good behavior. I also put them in a treat dispensing toy or in the grass so they have a purpose.  So what is the takeaway from this episode? Pigs are wild animals. We bring them into our home and make them a part of our family. Although we change the environment, we don't change their instinct to survive. So when we bring them into the house we need to really be knowledgeable about what a pet pig is and how they think.    Autumn’s Links:  Website: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/ Email: Autumn@autumnacresminipetpigs.com Educational Membership Group: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/support-group-subscription/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autumnacresminipetpigs/ Facebook:  HTTP://Facebook.com/autumnacresminipetpigs Mighty Networks: https://autumn-acres-mini-pet-pigs.mn.co/share/EPW2Ie5isMX4T0Ve YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCGue5Kp5AwOXkReCGPUyImA Stan Store: https://stan.store/autumnacresminipetpigs Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/hDNizT