Hamlet is a pot belly pig who came to live at Black Beauty Ranch in the spring of 2003. His companion was an elderly woman who was ill. She wanted to make sure Hamlet would be cared for after her death so she arranged for Hamlet to be taken to Black Beauty Ranch when she died.
Providing a pot belly pig with the proper living enclosure and medical attention or trying to find a good home for a pig is difficult. Pot belly pigs as companion animals were a big fad a few years ago and a lot of people bought them. Then they discovered that it was more work to care for the pigs than they had anticipated. Lots of pigs were given up at shelters or just let go. Many were put down. Black Beauty Ranch already had two other pot belly pigs whose companions gave them up, so Hamlet came to join them.
When Hamlet first arrived, the staff welcomed him and tried to make him feel at home. He was put into his own enclosure to provide time for adjustment and so that the staff could monitor him. At first, he would only stay in his shelter. It appeared that he felt sad and listless without his human friend. He also had a skin condition that made him lose some of his hair. (Pigs have hair, not fur!) With lots of TLC (tender loving care) from the staff, he slowly began to interact with everyone and feel at home.
Hamlet was fed a healthy diet of fruits, vegetables, and pig chow. Dr. Collins, one of the veterinarians for Black Beauty Ranch, provided him medical attention for his skin. Little by little, Hamlet's black hair started to grow in and he spent more time out of his shelter.
Soon it was time to move Hamlet to the group enclosure so he could live with the two other pot belly pigs who live at the ranch, Olivia and Mr. Pud. Hamlet instantly made friends with the other pigs! Now, all live happily in their grassy enclosure. They take long, leisurely naps in the afternoon and grunt excitedly for breakfast and dinner!
We recently added a "rooting box" to the enclosure. This is a box with some dirt and rocks but with treats added to it to stimulate the pigs' natural rooting behavior. Hamlet took charge of the situation, standing in the box and rooting excitedly for the special treats we provided! He loved the popcorn, Cheerios, and pig chow! He ate most of it!
We also gave the pigs a "Busy Ball" which is a hard plastic ball in which treats are inserted. There are holes cut in the ball and the treats fall out as the pig pushes the ball around. It provides exercise as well as enticing food tidbits. Hamlet grasped the concept right away! He began to slowly push the ball and a piece of pig chow would fall out. He ate that. Then he pushed it again. Again, more treats fell out. Then he started pushing it around the enclosure, munching on the "fruits" of his labor! The staff had an enjoyable time watching Hamlet have fun!
It seems that Hamlet has adjusted well and though he may always miss his human friend, he has made new human and pig friends at Black Beauty Ranch. Hamlet's story has a happy ending. However, for millions of other pot belly pigs, the outcome is not so positive.
Exotic animals do not make good pets. They require a lot of time, expense and commitment. Once you have them, it is too late to find out that you can't provide them the care they need. Shelters are overrun with animals, such as pot belly pigs, rodents, birds, iguanas and other reptiles, whom people bought for pets and then couldn't take care of. A better option is to adopt a cat or dog from your local humane society. Those animals need good homes and most of us can easily offer them the proper environment.
posted December 29, 2003
