When deciding if a mini pig is the right pet for you, there are mini pig pros and cons to consider. I’ll start with mini pig pros first and then I’ll follow up with mini pig cons.
There are so many great things about owning a mini pig. Before getting Oscar, I knew that pigs were smart and entertaining, but I didn’t know much about pig personalities. Now that Oscar is home and settled in, I am overwhelmed by how much he has added to our lives and how much we love this little guy.
The best part about owning Oscar is one that I never expected: the mini pig cuddles. Oscar loves to cuddle with his people, and he is the best cuddler I know. Any chance he gets, he snuggles in with one of us and stays until we have to get up and move him. His cuddles are what allowed us to bond with him from the beginning. Even when we couldn’t pick Oscar up without him squealing or even pet him without him jumping or running off, he was willing and eager to cuddle with us. I had no idea how loving and warm pigs can be, and that is my favorite thing about Oscar.
Another great part about mini pigs is their snout. There’s something about that cool, clammy snout that melts my heart. Oscar is so expressive with his snout: he explores with it, smells with it, roots with it. He even knows how to give kisses! If we get near him and ask for a kiss, he will give us one with his snout. He also uses his snout to explore our toes, and it’s the funniest feeling! I had never felt a pig’s snout before getting Oscar, and it was really strange to us at first. Now I can’t resist his snout because it’s part of what makes him so unique and special.
The bond you can have with a mini pig is so much deeper than I ever expected. They are such loving and affectionate animals. They don’t bond immediately with their owners; it takes time and patience. However, when that bond is created, it can be overwhelming and so amazing. As with raising any young animal, there have been frustrations along the way, but Oscar has added enough love, affection, entertainment, and joy in our lives to make it all worth it. While there are both mini pig pros and cons to consider, the benefits of owning a mini pig far outweigh the negatives for us.
I notice in the picture above ‘cuddling with dad’ Oscar looks rather orange. I’m currently struggling with my mini pig and her skin. She is more orange each day. Is this when you discovered he had mange is it normal? She is not overly itchy. Thanks!
Hi Maryssa! You’re definitely right about Oscar being pretty orange in that picture. It’s so hard to tell if it’s normal orange or not since they can also get rusty. Now that I know Oscar’s healthy skin better, that orange wasn’t right for him. When he’s healthy, he is definitely more pink with some light rusty spots on his ears, under his eyes, and a little on his snout. One thing to watch out for is scabby skin with the orange. Unfortunately, that’s usually a symptom they get later on or from a secondary staph infection so you might not see that early on with mange, but it’s definitely a symptom of a problem. If she’s not overly itchy, that could be a better sign but, honestly, if you’re already worried about mange and the orange coloring, it probably wouldn’t hurt to take her in for a skin scrape. If she’s clear, then you don’t have to worry about it. If she does have mange, it’s better to treat it early in case she would get a secondary staph infection like Oscar had. If she does have mange though and you have any questions, we’re here!
She has an appointment Saturday for a skin scraping. She was treated for mange a few weeks ago (I work for a vet) her scrap was negative then but we treated as a precaution and her skin cleared up. Over the past week her skin has gotten remarkably worse. Each day she turns more orange. So we are hoping for some answers. We are also going through some tougher times with our potty training. She was great with no accidents the whole first month. Now multiple in the past couple of days. It’s hard to take so many steps forward just to fall back for some reason. Your page has been so helpful! I refer to your blog often. Thank you!
One thing I wanted to mention after your last comment is that, while it’s completely possible her mange is back, she could also be orange from just an infection. Several months after we thought Oscar’s mange was gone, his skin started turning orange again but he wasn’t itchy like he was with the mange. I was so worried the mange had somehow come back, but the vet said it was just a staph infection. We treated him with antibiotics, and the orange went away and he was fine again. So, when you mention just the orange, it’s important to not rule out mange of course especially since she was just treated. But, in Oscar’s case, his orange that time was just an infection, so that might be something to look into. Hope it all is cleared up soon!
Well I was able to bet her into work yesterday and she was diagnosed with a bacterial staph infection of the skin. She is on antibiotics and weekly medicated baths. She got her first dose of antibiotics and her first medicated bath last night and already looks like a new piggy and much happier too! I was very happy she was mange negative! Thank you for all your help! Look forward to Oscar’s next update!
I’m so glad! I bet that was a huge relief. 🙂 Thanks for the update!
I’m hoping I’m not going to have to battle mange but at the same time she looks awful orange/brown.
Thanks for the information on having a pig as a pet! My wife and I really want to get a mini pig for a pet, but we are concerned we won’t be prepared! I didn’t realize that pigs liked to cuddle so much. That is something my wife and I really want in a pet.
Hello! Me and my family are thinking about getting a mini pig and we have a few questions…
1. How long can mini pigs usually stay in crates
2. Do they need daily excersise and if so how much?
3. How often do you take them to the vet
4. Do all pigs get mange
Hi I’m thinking about bying a mini pig so I’d just like to know how much exercise and space it needs plz
We got our mini pig Porkey about two months ago and are currently treating for mange.. we had to be treated for scabies as well! But hopefully we can get this cleared up so he can be a happy piggy again. Any tips for us?