We have a pig child named Tony. He is pretty incredible.
God knew we’d need preparation for a pig, so he blessed us with three dogs before Tony. Tony is an adventure – every day – and he is the culmination of all of our past three dogs. Our Morkie, Cici, needed constant attention and cuddles. Maggie, our lab, Shar-pei, English bulldog mix, had spunk and attitude. Grits, our big ole blue Great Dane, was loyal, goofy, and scared of her own shadow. I swear it’s like they were all reincarnated as Tony and the universe led us straight to him.
When we brought him home at six months old, he didn’t quite know what to think of us, and we didn’t quite know what to think of him. He oinked constantly and had nothing to do with us. We were NOT his family, but as we all know, love wins. And, love did win.
We protected him. We made him comfortable. We cleaned his litter box. We fed him. We talked to him. We bribed him with snacks. We were persistent in loving him. With time, he grew less talkative and more peaceful. Then, one day as I sat on the floor trying to play with him, he climbed over my stretched-out legs and snuggled his little piglet self between my legs. He laid down with a sweet light sigh. To this day, our stretched-out legs are his favorite place to cuddle.
Yes, pigs are extremely bright animals. They have the intelligence of a two-year-old…and the stubbornness of a teenager. He is manipulative to get his way, and he talks back when he’s angry. He even sheds a tear when his feelings get hurt.
One day, when he was still quite young, we left him alone for a few hours. Being social animals, pigs do not like to be left alone for long periods. He decided to let us know. He found a spot on our wall where the sheetrock tape was slightly peeling up. He pecked at it until he got a good hold on the tape and tugged it. Ruining the sheetrock. We came home to sheetrock dust everywhere and a chewed-up wall. Needless to say, we were not happy. Tony got a firm talking to. When I say firm, it’s more of a teacher voice talking to because raising your voice to a pig is a bad idea. They will remember it forever and not be so forgiving; they will also match your yelling in squealing.
Since pigs are extremely food-motivated and intelligent, they learn tricks pretty easily. Tony has learned to sit, wait for his food, spin, stand, go around (he walks around us), and he has learned his left hoof from his right hoof. He even opens and closes the cabinet doors to his food letting us know he’s hungry or wants a snack – or he simply wants to annoy us for attention.
Tony is potty-trained and leash trained too. He learned to use a litter box within a day or two of bringing him home, and one day, he decided he was too big for the litter box so he started grunting at the door. We let him out, he peed and pooped, and has been going in nature ever since. His favorite place to poop is in the woods though. Every time we go for a hike, he poops and poops and poops. He also runs and plays too. He is a nature boar for sure.
The best thing about this piggy pie is his cuddles. Tony is the master of cuddling and snuggling. He loves us unconditionally and is always there to comfort us and make us smile and laugh at his cuteness. He can also drive us bananas with his mischievousness and talking (squealing) back because he is one spoiled pig. He sleeps bundled up in cozy blankets on the sofa, has a pile of fleece blankets on the floor to root in, gets to play with toys, and is loved on more than any pig I’ve ever known. There is no way he’d ever survive on a farm again.
Tony BOARdain really is SOME PIG.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does he eat?
Pretty much anything you give him, but we feed him a vegetarian diet. He gets a salad of fruits and vegetables topped with pig pellets twice a day. The pig pellets are dried food that expands in his stomach to make him feel full. The pellets are important because wild pigs eat up to 11 times a day in the wild. He also gets snacks throughout the day like Cheerios, oats, and scraps.
How long do pigs live?
The average life span of a pig is 15-20 years. We hope he lives 20 so we do our best to keep him healthy. Pigs, like humans, can get diabetes, heart disease, skin cancer, etc. This is why we exercise him and feed him a balanced and healthy diet. Tony will be 3 on September 10th.
How much does he weigh? How big will he get?
Pigs aren’t fully grown until they are 5 years old and size depends on the breed of pig. Tony is a Juliana pig. Juliana pigs are European and bred to be smaller for companionship for farmers. On average, Juliana pigs weigh 80-120 pounds. At Tony’s last vet appointment, he weighed 112 lbs. We suspect he weighs closer to 120 lbs now. His body will keep maturing as he ages.
Is he a mini pig or a micro mini pig? What kind of pig is he?
No. Micro-mini pigs and mini pigs do not exist. There is no such thing. The ones you see on TikTok or social media are piglets or have been borderline starved to stay smaller. Juliana pigs, also called painted pigs, are the smallest breed of pigs. Potbelly pigs can get over 200 lbs. whereas other types of pigs can reach 1,000 lbs or more. Don’t be fooled by the internet.
Are pigs dirty?
No. Pigs are very clean animals. They potty in the same place every time as they like to keep their “bathroom” and “living” spaces separate. They only roll in dirt or mud to cool off and/or to protect their skin from the sun. Think of mud as pig sunscreen. Also, unlike dogs, pigs can’t turn to reach their butts meaning no butt licking.
Do you give him baths?
Yes. We bathe him every 2-3 months in the bathtub. He hops right in. I feed him snacks while Matt bathes him. We do spray him off with water in between baths since he does like rolling in the dirt. He also gets rubbed down with baby oil after a bath because pigs tend to have super dry and flaky skin. The baby oil helps.
Do you take him to a regular vet?
We take him to a large animal vet. He gets a yearly check-up and shots like any other pet.
Do you trim his hooves?
No – the vet does that. Typically, he gets his hooves and tusks trimmed at his annual check-up since he has to be sedated to do so.
Do you still eat pork or meat?
I have been a pescatarian for about 20 years. Matt still eats meat including pork, but we NEVER plan to eat Tony. That would be like asking a dog or cat owner if they ever plan to eat their pet.
Does he shed?
Yes. His hairs are very coarse, hence boar’s hair brushes, and his hairs are like little needles that stick into everything. Some pigs even bolt meaning they lose all of their hair pretty much overnight. Tony has never bolted.
Does he sleep in the bed with you?
Absolutely not. He would take over the entire bed, and we just aren’t people who allow pets to sleep in the bed with us. He did sleep on a mound of blankets on the floor, but now we let him sleep on the sofa because he’ll sleep later the next morning.
What do you do with him when you leave the house?
As a piglet, we kenneled him or left him in a gated area. Now, we just leave him out. He has full reign of the house, however, pigs like their own space. Once they “claim” a space, they tend to stay in that area. He never really strays out of the living room or kitchen area unless we bribe him with treats or the vacuum scares him. Sometimes, we leave him in the backyard to play since it’s fenced-in.
How does he do on car rides?
Okay. Short car rides are usually fine. He oinks a little but music and talking to him tends to calm him down. If he’s in the back hatch, he’s mostly unhappy because he isn’t right next to us. His limit is about 2 hours. We learned that the hard way. Around the 2-hour mark, he gets car sick and throws up. Pig throw-up is the most awful smell ever. Also, he has been trained to use a ramp to get in and out of the car.
Does his tail wag mean he’s happy?
Yes, pigs wag their tail when they’re happy just like dogs. They also get pig zoomies when they’re happy, and yes, they are the cutest thing on the planet to witness. They will also sleep up to 16 hours a day if they are happy.
What do you do with him when you want to go out of town?
We don’t travel as much as we did before getting Tony, but when we do travel, we have family or friends stay at our house to pig-sit.
Does he get along with dogs?
That depends. Pigs are prey animals. Dogs are predators. Nature usually decides for us. Tony isn’t typically bothered with dogs and ignores them as long as they don’t get in his face. Typically, dogs are either super curious and just sniff him and try to play, or they lose their minds and want to kill him. If Tony squeals, most dogs go into attack mode.
Cardinal Confidence: A Passion Project 