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About Helen Morrison
Expertise
Pot-bellied or other miniature pet pig care, including diet, housing, training, health care. Can provide information about zoning, adoption, supplies, and organizations. Questions about any kind of pet swine are welcome!
Experience
Fifteen years experience owning, raising, and caring for small pet swine, including "Vietnamese" pot-bellied pigs.
Organizations
Pigs of Great Fortune
Publications
Animals Exotic and Small
I am the Swine Contributing Editor
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You are here: Experts > Animals/Pets > Exotic Pets > Pot Bellied Pigs > Couple Basic Questions
Expert: Helen Morrison - 10/27/2009
Question
My 9 month old male pig doesn't seem to want to play with any toys. He has balls, ropes, socks, stuffed animals.. He loves to rip up cardboard and that's about it. I'm willing to get him any toy he wants.. Do yo have any suggestions? He also grinds his teeth a lot and it's really annoying. Do they grow out of this or is there a way to make him stop? Also is a heating pad or heating bottle ok to let him sleep with? I live in utah and the winters are really cold here. He seems to get chilly in the middle of the night and squeal. Thank you!
Answer
Teeth grinding is a normal pig activity. Some do it more than others. Some do it all the time, others do it for awhile then stop. Your pig is probably grinding because he's getting new teeth and loosing old ones. Pigs also grind when they're upset, or getting ready to fall asleep, or are thinking about food, or smell food, or just because they can.
In human terms, your pig is now a school age child. He's left his baby toys behind. Before, anything and everything was a toy because it was all new. Now, he knows what stuff is, and toys need something to catch and hold his interest. Pigs love toys that make noise and they love toys with food. One of my pigs had a baby toy called Busy Choo-Choo that made a chugging sound when he pushed it. He pushed it all over the house just for the noise! Other pigs enjoy playing with those crunch plastic grocery bags. One person has to lock them away or her pig will pull them out of the cupboard because he enjoys the noise.
Busy balls and apple bags can keep pigs occupied for awhile. To make a Busy Ball, take a plastic milk carton or soda bottle, with the lid. Punch holes in it just large enough for a pig pellet or piece of popcorn to fall through. Load the container with pellets or air popped corn or puffed wheat or rice. Put the lid on, and let piggy play. As he pushes the container around, bits of food will fall out and keep him occupied for quite awhile.
To make an apple bag, take several small brown lunch bags. Sprinkle a bit of cinnamon inside the bags, then put a piece or two of apple in each one. Roll the bags shut. Put all the bags in a larger brown bag. You can sprinkle in a few puffed wheat or rice, too. Roll the big bag shut and let piggy rip it apart to find the apple.
Since your pig enjoys cardboard, he'll probably enjoy shredding old magazines for you.
Is your pig inside our out? If he's inside, at his age, it's ok to give him a pad or bottle, but make sure the pad is turn on very, very low. If he's outside, give him several bales of straw (not hay). Straw is a fantastic insulator and he'll enjoy building a nest. In fact, that may be what he's trying to do when he shreds the cardboard.
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