Ignatius C. Potbelly

Ignatius C. Potbelly. The "C" stands for CHARMING... or CHAOS depending on the day. My iggy the piggy. What can i say. I am now a pig person. I acquired Iggy on Mother's Day '05. And he is such a mother...

I would have to say a pig as a pet is NOT for everyone. Yes, in the beginning he was so cute. And tiny. Only 5lbs. But then one day you look at him and wonder how he got so big or should i say fat. And defiant. And headstrong. And smart.

He is so smart. He will NOT come like a dog. Nor can he be trained like a horse. He is not sweet for sweetness sake. And He remembers everything. So don't put any food in cabinets on the floor area. He knows if he stands under the bird cages long enough, food will fall from the sky. And the birds don't help the situation. They drop food, and then laugh. Or worse. say, "here piggy". Don't call him without a treat, because next time, he just won't come. The only way to get a pig to learn or respond is with food. Forget all you know about training dogs or any animal.

Iggy's life revolves around food. When, Where, and How much. He spends his whole day looking, plotting, manipulating you to get some. Luckily i don't cook, so he doesn't relate the kitchen as a food source.

After his breakfast, which needs to be fed in seclusion, he runs to all the other animal pens trying to find a way in. Once it is clear he can't, he comes barreling into the house. Because food does drop from the sky in here...

Breakfast #2 is now over Iggy will go back outside and root around for a couple of hours. Or take a dip in his pool. Sufficiently wet and dirty he will try to come back in the house. He likes to nap in my walk-in closet. He moves all the shoes around to make a comfy little bed. One day the accordian door was shut, and well he just rammed thru it.

So, Iggy is now on a diet. And he isn't even at a mature weight. He won't stop growing for another 3 years. The word "miniature pot belly" is a misnomer. YES, he is only going to be 150lbs which is miniature to a 450lb farm hog. So, buyer beware. They get as big as they get and its probably your fault.

I have a piggy regimine. it goes like this. Show him a bag of goodies, and run. And He runs too. Determined to get that bag. And i am determined for him to lose weight. I hide treats all over the yard. This way he will search for them. I only have to hide it once every couple of days. Because he will remember where yesterdays treat was and go searching. But after a couple of days? you have to re-hide them or else. He is not a sucker.

This little piggy is a sweet heart from what i am learning about them. They are pigs after all. Not dogs. They can be aggressive and dominant. And will fight for "top hog" status if you let them. I'm always on the look out for pig displays of dominance, and yes i have been known to "oink" back and "grunt" if i have to. Piggy talk consists of oinks, barks, grunt, and growls. Gotta learn my piggy talk. he grunts at me constantly.

So, there you have it. A pig is not a good pet for everyone. But then again i am not a normal pet owner.