How to Care for a Pot-Bellied Pet Pig

3 minutes

The pot-bellied pet pig is an exotic mammal, and so it requires specific care. It's a rather sociable species whose demeanor is similar to that of a dog.

Last update: 20 December, 2020

People are increasingly original and spontaneous when it comes to selecting a companion animal. Many of them adopt a pot-bellied pet pig — an uncommon animal to have at home. It’s an excellent companion animal though. It’s normal to have questions as regards their care, so continue reading to find some tips about it.

Advice on how to care for a pot-bellied pet pig

Give them their own space

Believe it or not, this animal is actually rather clean and you won’t have any problems tidying up their bed or cage. Whatever you do, make sure it’s comfortable and soft. You might want to provide several blankets that they can use as a mattress.

Cages must be wide enough so the animal can turn around inside them, and they should also have several blankets on the base.

Feeding your pot-bellied pet pig

Surely one of the first questions that’ll come to your mind is what to feed them. Well, their food is based on grain compounds. There are countries where specialized food for pot-bellied pigs isn’t easy to find, so many people replace it with horse food.

In addition, these animals prefer fruit and vegetables so you can complement their diet with these. Of course, you must provide them with plenty of fresh clean water (change it every day).

The temperature

You must also take temperature into account when caring for this type of animal because they don’t like extremes. You’ll have to make an effort to maintain a room temperature of about 64 to 73ºF.

Some figure — Provide a small plastic pool during the summer so they can cool down during extreme heat, they’ll stress otherwise.

Make them a part of the family

Most people adopt a pet to make them a part of the family. However, the pot-bellied pig is particularly sensitive about this. They know they’re your equal and must feel integrated into your family or social group.

They’ll become depressed and even aggressive if they spend too much time alone or have no contact with family members. So, let them hang around the house at their own leisure and they’ll be happy.

Mind their diet

Pot-bellied pigs tend to get fat, so you must be careful about what you feed them. Also, they have a tendency to gluttony and could be eating all day long without stopping and never be sated.

Remember you must allow them to exercise regularly in addition to providing them with a wholesome diet. It won’t only allow you to control their weight, but they’ll also be healthy and in good shape.

The bath

As we said at the beginning, the pot-bellied pig is a rather clean animal. Thus, a bath once a month or every two months will suffice.

Final notes about the pot-bellied pet pig

As with any pet, this one requires a series of vaccinations and de-worming. Talk to your vet about the best plan for yours. Remember they need contact with their fellow species, so you might want to consider adopting two instead of one.

Finally, keep in mind that this animal is a lot like a dog. Thus, you can teach them tricks and they need to be taken out for walks. You’ll love how excited they get when you get home and grab the leash to take them out.