The Pig
Filed in: Misc
I keep getting a lot of questions about Molvin and have decided to put together a little post for those of you who are thinking of getting a pig of your own. In other words, this is a post completely unrelated to fashion, but I feel obligated to do it so that you know about the good and bad about owning such an animal. Click more if you´d like to know more about having pigs as a pet, keep scrolling if you´re here for what this blog is really about.
There are of course may different types of pigs. The most common to have as a pet is probably the potbellied pig. Molvin is a smaller version of these and will only end up at about 10 kilos when she´s fully grown. That is if we feed her right though. When it comes to pigs, the diet is extremely important. Vegetables, a little fruit and bread, not too much. If you feed them too much, they will not only become fat, they will also become bigger in general.
Since you keep them pretty skinny, they don´t have the natural shield against deceases that most animals have. If it gets sick and loses it´s appetite, it´s extremely important to get it to a vet or it might die.
Keeping it indoors is no problem. It will do it´s business in one of those kitty boxes and you don´t even have to teach it how to do so as it goes by smell and therefor will go to the same place every time. If it should have an accident it´s extremely important to clean the floor thoroughly to get out the smell or else it might go there again. We have sprayed perfume on the spot just to be on the safe side.
Even though being indoors is no problem for a pig, it doesn´t like cold weather anyway, it does like to go out to dig in the dirt or eat grass. Molvin is extra happy when she´s outside. And afterwards she gets really tired and needs a nap. Pigs need their naps. Even though they in theory are lazy animals, they always want to get in on the action, and if there´s too much happening they will get tired. Molvin refuses to go to sleep when we have people over, instead she gets really grumpy and we have to put her somewhere where it´s quiet so that she can calm down. And when she´s sleeping she always needs a blanket. Can´t sleep without it.
That brings us to the fact that pigs are social animals. They will follow you around all the time, unless nothing in particular is happening. And they´re easily bored. They like to dig for treats and rip up paper. And if there´s nothing happening, and nothing to do, it might start eating off your shoe laces or whatever else it might find. Seriously, the pig will try to eat everything. This is the worst side about having a pig and something I didn´t know before we got her. Keeping her busy with things she´s allowed to play with has become important. Having her outdoors has helped a lot too.
Pigs get very attached to their owners and will be afraid of strangers to begin with. It´s important for new people to give the pig treats so that it will like them, or else it might become aggressive when older. Keep in mind that the pig will never forget you if you decide to put it away. You will always be number one, in good and bad.
We ended up getting a pig since I wanted a dog and my husband wanted a cat, and we figured out that pigs where somewhere in between. It doesn´t have to be walked like a dog, but is more social than a cat. It was the perfect compromise.
I have probably forgotten a lot of things, but please ask if there´s something you´d like to know. Getting an animal is a big responsibility no matter what and I wouldn´t want any of you to be unprepared for that. It´s a great animal, it loves to cuddle and loves to be with you, but at the same time, it´s moody and very stubborn. It´s super smart so you can teach it just about the same things you can teach a dog, maybe more, but since it´s so smart, it also needs extra care.
Leave a Comment or Trackback
74 Comments
April 21st, 2008 at 10:59 pm
great pics of the little one. so cute!
April 21st, 2008 at 11:17 pm
finally, something about the piggy.
thnx
April 21st, 2008 at 11:24 pm
I was wondering about Molvin!
Do you actually sleep with her as well?
April 21st, 2008 at 11:31 pm
i hate to be a doubter and molvin is adorable but i researched getting a pig and was told that the idea of a miniature pot-belly is a myth and that the feeding them less thing is a myth too and a mean one at that because its really just starving them. Most of the websites I went on (that weren’t breeders but big-advocacy sites) said that breeders say that but its not really true. Again, I love your site and Molvin but this is what I’ve widely read. They all say that pot-bellies get huge whether “mini” or not.
ex:
http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/potbelliedpigs/a/pbpexpect.htm
states:
“On a more basic level, a pig will live an average of 12 -18 years, estimates range up to more than 20 years. Although often called miniature pot bellied pigs, the term miniature is relative - they are smaller than most pigs kept for food production, but they still usually weigh 125 pounds or more when fully grown. Responsibility for their care is not to be taken lightly, with respect to time or finances. Pigs should be obtained form conscientious, reputable breeders, and will need a good quality pig food, regular vaccinations, hoof and tusk trims, and will also need to be spayed or neutered. Regular access to the outdoors for exercise is a necessity as well. Pigs are social animals so needs lots of attention and interaction, and if feasible, owners should consider keeping more than one pig. Of course, as with any other exotic pet - an owner needs to check local regulations to make sure pot bellied pig ownership is permissible.”
April 21st, 2008 at 11:44 pm
thank you so much for this post! i’ve been showing the pictures of molvin to my boyfriend, since fashion is not his thing, and we kept wondering what kind of pig she is. she is so cute. right now, no pig for me since i have two rabbits that follow me around wherever i go in the apartment, but come time, come pig…
April 21st, 2008 at 11:47 pm
awww… there must be a fanclub for Molvin somewhere! I’ll join! :)
April 21st, 2008 at 11:51 pm
She’s so cute!!
April 22nd, 2008 at 12:04 am
So cute!
Where did you get her?
April 22nd, 2008 at 12:10 am
Does Mulvin like to snuggle?
April 22nd, 2008 at 12:15 am
yay Molvin! She always makes me smile. I have a few questions :) How big will she grow to be? As in height and length? Also, do your neighbours mind having a pig around? Is she noisy?
I’m gonna be moving into a flat soon and am considering pet options. Think I might end up buying a ferret but think it would be good to know about pigs… just in case ;)
thx in advance!
*keeps on smiling at molvin*
April 22nd, 2008 at 12:28 am
I was wondering how big Molvin would get..thanks for this post, your baby pig is so adorable! :)
April 22nd, 2008 at 12:34 am
he’s soooo gorgeous!!
K
April 22nd, 2008 at 12:36 am
Hi Agathe,
Thank you for making a post devoted to pig ownership. I was curious about lots of the things you covered in your post, so it was nice to read some of the answers.
You had mentioned before that Molvin is a Canadian Minipig. I had never heard of that (and I’m Canadian) so I looked it up online and I didn’t find much. Do you know of any other names for this breed of pig?
I’m assuming you got Molvin from a breeder. Are there many pig breeders in Norway? Does the breeder you got Molvin from have a website?
Has she gotten along with dogs when you’ve taken her to the park for walks?
She’s very cute and I love when she’s featured in your fashion posts. I keep showing the pictures to my boyfriend in the hopes he’ll become as enthusiatic about owning a pig as I am, but so far I can only get him to agree to it if I promise to name it “bacon”. :)
Thanks again,
Annelies
April 22nd, 2008 at 12:43 am
Molvin is so cute and when i saw her on your photos i was surprised. I heard about little pigs as pet but never seen one before your!
April 22nd, 2008 at 12:53 am
love the pig!
does she socialize with other animals?
does she bite when angressive? (or just bite in general)
has she eaten lots of your clothes/shoes? :-)
April 22nd, 2008 at 12:58 am
Thanks so much for the info. I always wanted a pig but when we were getting a pet we ended up with a Basenji dog, a wild-dog from Congo, she died two years ago and I think it’s time for a new friend. Basenjis are kind of crazy dogs, they are called Cat-dogs so I guess the pig is similar. Looks like it’s gonna be a pig.
Maybe you can try a tip from a dog owner… Basenjis are known for eating everything!!! They like to nibble on things, luckily ours didn’t but there are creams you can mix together yourselves and slab them on places were they usually like to nibble. Camphor is classic. They hate that so If you have Carmex lipbalm you can use that.
Thanks again for the post.
/Suzana
April 22nd, 2008 at 1:15 am
molvin is my fav pig of all times!
pst; how do i get on your fav blog list?
April 22nd, 2008 at 1:28 am
Thanks for this, i didn’t realise how social an animal pigs were or about how well they can be toilet trained!
April 22nd, 2008 at 1:38 am
He’s beautiful! My boy has wanted a pig for a while, but I don’t trust him not to feed it extra treats and for it to end up weighing 100kg!
I think for us the pig would be a nice compromise between my awful allergies, and our other desire - a Great Dane (argh! We couldn’t even afford to feed it!)
April 22nd, 2008 at 1:43 am
Oh, one last thing - does she make little noises? Like little grunts and snuffles and squeaks and things?
April 22nd, 2008 at 2:01 am
Molvin is very sweet. I’ve been considering a pig for a while but I was a bit unsure because my mother grew up on a farm with pigs and didn’t like them much. So thank you for the post.
April 22nd, 2008 at 2:17 am
That first photo of her is fantastic. I’ll be honest, I never thought a pig could be this cute!
April 22nd, 2008 at 3:29 am
urgh shes too cute. I’m getting a Norweigan Forest Cat in august. they’re huuuuuuuge. on average they’re 23 lbs, so i’m quite excited hah!
April 22nd, 2008 at 3:38 am
Thanks for the piece on Molvin. When thinking of a compromise between a cat and a dog, I never would have arrived at a pig! Now I REALLY want one. Our dog Joe eats everything too, including money if you leave it hanging around, so Molvin couldn’t be any worse.
April 22nd, 2008 at 3:44 am
I really hope that you are not under feeding her because you do not want to be inconvenienced by a bigger pet. Did a breeder tell you to keep her really skinny? If so, that is bad advice from a backyard breeder.
April 22nd, 2008 at 4:02 am
Thank you so much for your insight about owning your pig. Hopefully, you have given some people good information so that they can make a responsible decision about whether to have a pig for a companion. It’s sad but true…too many animals end up abandoned or in animal shelters because of impulsive decisions. I have a question, though…can you spay or neuter your pet pig? Does she have ‘heats’ or reproductive cycles like cats & dogs? I’ve always had cats and dogs, so I’m not familiar with pigs. thank you so much for sharing! :)
April 22nd, 2008 at 4:20 am
SO ADORABLE!!!!
April 22nd, 2008 at 4:27 am
What does the name Molvin mean (well, if it means something!)?? I thought it was a boy when I first saw the name!!! She`s soooooo cute!!!
April 22nd, 2008 at 4:50 am
while i do love fashion (mostly, i like seeing people’s daily outfits even though i’m not that interested in high fashion), i think this has been one of my favorite posts so far! i love seeing molvin in your photoshoots :)
i was wondering: since she is a very social animal and also loves to eat everything, how do you two deal with her when you are out and about? do you just leave her roaming the apartment? keep her in a crate?
April 22nd, 2008 at 5:02 am
I never knew anyone with a pet Pig before.
This is interesting. I like the last photo of her. She looks so happy to be playing outside in the sun.
Do you bathe her?
April 22nd, 2008 at 5:11 am
Aww! Won’t she be malnourished if she’s too thin, though?
April 22nd, 2008 at 5:28 am
Great post! But when I saw the title I thought for a second you were talking about the iHog and my heart skipped a beat. I think you need the iHog so it can be photographed with Molvin.
April 22nd, 2008 at 5:30 am
she is sooooooooooo cute
April 22nd, 2008 at 6:30 am
I’ve never thought of pigs as house pets. Although, surprisingly, yours is really cute. A friend of mine bought a hedgehog. Those are cute too.
April 22nd, 2008 at 6:36 am
That was really nice of you to do. I love Molvin with her blanket. She kinda sounds like my kids! ;)
April 22nd, 2008 at 7:40 am
Honestly, she sounds pretty much the same as my nervous pit-bull, but without the sixty pounds of heft he brings to the “hanging on my skirt tails” issue…
But she looks like such a love! She’s got a gorgeous smile — total model in the making, just like her Mama!
April 22nd, 2008 at 8:36 am
I love piggies. I will be getting one very soon. I prefer pink ones though. Molvin looks gorgeous.
Thanks for the post.
April 22nd, 2008 at 8:37 am
pigs have feelings, too!
i didn’t know molvin was such a loyal
creature. a big responsibility indeed.
thank you for posting about her.
(again, she looks so cute in the
pictures… the blanket! the little
hooves that look like dwarves’ high heels!)
April 22nd, 2008 at 8:54 am
Jackie, she has been for a while! It’s a long story, but when we turn of the light in the bedroom we also turn off the heat in the bathroom where she originally sleeps. During winter it got too cold for her, so she got to sleep in our bed.
Chrissy, I know this is an issue and that many people have been duped. It’s important to find a good breeder. I did check out our breeder really well and haven’t come across a single story where they have grown too big. It can end up on 30 kg if you don’t manage to control the weight, but many even end up on less than 10 kg. Then there are the bad breeders that sell you an ordinary pig that ends up at 100 kg. There’s a lot of discussion about the race though, and I guess that’s where part of the mixup is.
Rheanna, on a farm outside of Tønsberg. I can find the contact info for you if you want.
Cara, absolutely!
Penny, she will end up like a small dog in size, not like the mini dogs, but like a Cocker Spaniel or something. The neighbours love her! I wouldn’t call her noisy. She makes noises all the time, but usually not very loud ones. Unless she’s really grumpy.
Annelies, I am not really sure what the right name of her breed is as there seems to be a discussion around this. Canadian minipig is what the breeder called her, I think there might actually be a different name. The website of the breeder is:
http://www.taspitir.no/minigris1/ny_minigris.html
There aren’t many breeders. This is the only serious one that I know of. Many other people sell pigs, but it’s much more risky when it comes to size and all. In general pigs doesn’t really care too much about other animals and get along fine with them as long as they don’t scare them.
D, she can be curious about other animals, but most of the time she minds her own business. She doesn’t bite at all. She can be grumpy, but never bites. I have thrown out one pair of cheap shoes I didn’t really like anyway because of her, and have had another pair repaired. The best thing is to keep it tidy and away from her reach!
Suzana, thanks for the tip!
Vintage darling, just a minute… :)
Clare, she grunts all the time and has different noises for everything. When she’s happy, when she’s angry, when she needs to pee. You can tell a lot from her grunts!
Ellen, we feed her more than the breeder told us too. As long as she’s full of energy and doesn’t look too skinny I don’t think there’s a problem. It’s of course just as important to avoid having the pig too skinny as too fat! The breeder was very careful to explain everything, also about these things.
Alline, she’s named after my grandfather who had a pig of his own. He was supposed to be named Malvin when he was born, but a spelling error turned it to Molvin.
Amethyst, we keep her in the bathroom. She mostly sleeps when we’re not around and she loves to be in there because of the heating in the floor.
Feli, yes, when she needs it, but she doesn’t like it! What she does like though is sitting wrapped in a blanket afterwards. She feels really sorry for her self and needs extra care.
Sojourner, don’t worry! I don’t think you’ll find a pig with a healthier diet! She gets all kinds of healthy treats, cod liver oil and so on.
April 22nd, 2008 at 9:03 am
Check out our blog shop! Confidencebycc.blogg.se!!! We ship worldwide!!!
/ CC
April 22nd, 2008 at 9:48 am
Just curious.. are you a vegan or do you eat pigs? It would be weird if you did. Like eating a dog.
April 22nd, 2008 at 9:53 am
Liza, I’ve never been much of a pork eater, but yes I do eat it. I could never be vegan. I love meat.
April 22nd, 2008 at 10:36 am
Your pig sounds very much like my cat, actually.
April 22nd, 2008 at 11:33 am
aww Molvin is simply adorable
April 22nd, 2008 at 12:17 pm
AWWWW…… i love that piggy, I am dying for a cute little baby like your one :)
April 22nd, 2008 at 12:36 pm
I love seeing pictures of Molvin on your blog! (: How much would a pig like Molvin cost?
April 22nd, 2008 at 1:20 pm
wow this is wonderful, never knew any of this stuff. Maybe when I get a house I’ll get a cute pig right now. I live in small apartment complex and I doubt we would be allowed to have pigs. maybe they are more open in europe? let me know if you can…
April 22nd, 2008 at 1:59 pm
Thank you so much for answering the questions!
After seeing adorable Molvin on your blog, I’ve been secretly wanting my own :) I’ve always wanted a cat. But since I’ve seen my brother’s appartment after his two kittens got their paws on it (scratched furniture, ruined plants, hair everywhere,…), I’m a bit afraid to go for the cat.
I adore Molvin, and it sounds like Canadian mini-piggies are better suited for me. I was curious for the toilet training as well! The only thing left: do you and your husband both work outdoors, and does she get lonely? I work long hours, and wouldn’t want to make her unhappy/lonely.
(P.S. when googling ‘Canadian minipig’ your blog comes up #2)
April 22nd, 2008 at 2:01 pm
she is so sweet. her modeling career seems to be going smoothly, the camera loves her!
April 22nd, 2008 at 2:06 pm
Catherine, Molvin was expensive, about $1000.
Jen, it wouldn’t hurt to ask! :)
Kim, since pigs sleep alot it isn’t any problem that we work during the day, but if you work very long hours you might want to reconcider it though. About potty training though: To have her get it right away you should get a little poo from the breeder (dusgusting, but true) and put it in it’s box. Then it will follow the smell.
April 22nd, 2008 at 2:28 pm
thx very much for answering! :) Glad the neighbours like her… how couldn’t they??? haha
April 22nd, 2008 at 3:10 pm
Now I want a pig!
April 22nd, 2008 at 3:17 pm
Cute pig! Just wondering…you own a pig, but you eat meat?
April 22nd, 2008 at 4:01 pm
If Geroge Clooney had one as a pet i could definately have one two.
This molvin is lovely!
April 22nd, 2008 at 4:27 pm
aww she’s so cute, perfect for some who’s allergic!
April 22nd, 2008 at 6:18 pm
Awww! That’s one of the sweetest entries I have ever read. I completely agree with the idea that getting an animal is a big responsibility. I really wish I had realised it better when I was a kid and got my puppy. I think I didn’t treat her very well because I went out with friends all the time and spent very little time with her. I think she must have been unhappy and until now that is one of the biggest regrets in my life. I still feel very upset each time I think of her eyes sometimes I even feel that she was crying.
I wish Molvin good health and she’s really lucky to have an owner like you.
April 22nd, 2008 at 7:01 pm
molvins adorable! my boyfriend has been obsessed with piggies ever since he saw her.
April 22nd, 2008 at 7:22 pm
omg I eally really love pigs (that’s why I don’t eat them :D haha sorry ;) Molvin is so so cute ^^
April 22nd, 2008 at 8:40 pm
your piggy reminds me of my doggie!
April 23rd, 2008 at 12:38 am
Love the post on Molvin. We had a piggy (Willy) when I was younger & he slept with me. We used to put him in the yard when we weren’t home - he had a pig house w/ bedding in case it was chilly - he eventually learned how to break (back) in by using his snout to lift the sliding glass door out of its tracks. And would squeal like death if he didn’t want to do something (like take a bath)… Awwww - makes me nostalgic.
April 23rd, 2008 at 4:33 am
awww, Molvin is the cutest, thanks for all the info.
April 23rd, 2008 at 4:59 am
I love Molvin.
April 23rd, 2008 at 9:24 am
I love that their little hooves look like they’re walking around on teeny high heels!
April 23rd, 2008 at 1:15 pm
Does the pig smell much? In comparison to a large dog, is the smell better or worse?
April 23rd, 2008 at 1:17 pm
Ivy, haha, Molvin does squeal, and she also learn how to break out of things. Pigs are a little too smart at times!
Amelia, they don’t smell at all! You can shower them if they get dirty, but they don’t smell.
April 23rd, 2008 at 9:05 pm
Thank you for all the information and lovely pics!
April 23rd, 2008 at 10:34 pm
yay you made a whole post about molvin! i want a pig to! yours is sooooo cute! <3<3<3
April 24th, 2008 at 4:54 am
Thanks for clearing that up. I have even more respect for your blog. Cheers.
April 25th, 2008 at 1:32 am
Awesome! It’s so cool that you have a pig, rather than a cat or dog. My bf and I have a rabbit, which is also the perfect compromise between dog and cat. Rabbits sound a lot like pigs - they are social creatures, they like routines, they get very attached to their owners and they get bored easily and will chew whatever to alleviate this boredom! I would not trade my bunny for the world, he is the best!
April 25th, 2008 at 8:59 pm
Oh, i am so getting a piggy! :D it’s soooo cute!!
April 25th, 2008 at 9:23 pm
It’s odd to me that anyone would be weirded out by your being a meat eater and yet having a pig as a pet. I doubt anyone ever asks parrot owners if they still eat chicken.
April 25th, 2008 at 10:40 pm
Agathe, how much did you pig cost? I heard they are quite expensive…
I love little Molvin, she is so so cute!
April 25th, 2008 at 11:45 pm
so glad you made a post about the piggy…I’ve been waiting for it!
I’ve always wanted one, and i love exotic pets, (I have a Chinchilla)
I read that they “root,” (dig, and they do it in the house because it’s such a natural instinct)isn’t that true?
big snorgle kisses to Molvin!
April 27th, 2008 at 1:55 am
Can I steal her? I’ve wanted a pig for sooo long and when my sister showed me your blog and I saw you had I pig I wanted one even more!!
Also, I tagged you. =]