As many satisfied owners have realized, potbellied pigs are quite intelligent and easy to train. They are generally playful and mild tempered (although prone to fits of misbehavior from time to time), and simply fun to have around. As for the infamous pig smell, you can keep your pet quite odor free simply by maintaining its hygiene. Small wonder then that potbellied pigs as pets is a trend that has captured many countries by storm.
Nevertheless, the ownership of potbellied pigs requires some serious thought and consideration, with particular attention being given to their care while they are very young, Just like with all other mammals, it is during the early stages of life that potbellied pigs are most vulnerable, and proper care and attention during this period will go a long way in ensuring their continued good health as they get older.
One of the first things that you will want to make sure of is the availability of an appropriate space for your pet. Baby potbellied pigs are particularly sensitive to temperature extremes, and they will best thrive in temperatures of around 70º.
Space is another important consideration in this regard, and you will want to ensure that your pet will have a pen big enough of him to move around in. The good news is that baby potbellied pigs won’t grow up to be that large, so you should be able to make do with a moderate sized pen as long as you remember to leave a little bit of allowance for future growth.
As for your pet’s nutritional needs, you will want to give him a good quality brand of feed, one that is intended specifically for baby potbellied pigs. Remember that pigs are omnivorous–which means that they will eat practically anything–but this also means that you will have to provide them with a high quality source of protein, since they are not able to manufacture this on their own. And while the feeds should form the bulk of your pet’s diet, you may also want to supplement this with abundant amounts of fruits and vegetables. Your pet is far more likely to enjoy his meal if it provides a variety of flavors and textures. Make sure that your baby potbellied pig gets plenty of water as well, particularly when the weather turns hot.
Toilet training is another important concern, particularly if you allow your pet access to your home. In such cases, you will want to either toilet train your pet to go outside, or to use a litter box. Of course there is the issue of cleaning up the litter box, which can be an unpleasant task given the fact that the potbellied pig is quite a bit larger and heavier than an average dog. Whichever way you want to toilet train your potbellied pigs however, make sure to stick to only one method so as to avoid confusing your pet.
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