Providing Food and Shelter
Provide the right indoor shelter. Potbelly pigs are fairly clean pets, so many owners have no problem keeping them indoors. If you want to raise your potbelly pig indoors, however, it's important to set up the right environment so your pig can thrive. Pigs don't need to be confined frequently, but they should have their own space in the house. A dog or cat crate works well. Make sure to fill the crate with blankets and bedding. If you have more than one pig, each pig should have its own bed.
Set up a good outdoor shelter. If you prefer, and if you have a backyard, you can keep a potbelly pig outside. You should also have an outdoor shelter in place just to let your indoor pig out on occasion. Potbelly pigs are not very big and cannot jump high. They should have some kind of fenced in enclosure, but there's no need for the enclosure to be more than 4 feet high. You should also have shelter and bedding inside the enclosure, especially if you plan to keep your pig outside longterm. There should be a small crate or shelter your pig can enter, filled with bedding and timothy hay. If you live in an area where the heat ever drops below 50 °F (10 °C), it's necessary to have a heated shelter. You can also let your pigs indoors on night where the heat is expected to dip below 50 degrees.
Feed your pig a pellet-based diet. The staple of a healthy potbelly pig's diet is pellets. You can find pellets specifically designed for potbelly pigs online or at a local pet store. Feed your pig a serving of pellets twice a day. Refer to the label on your chosen pig food for instructions on how big a serving you need. How much food a pig needs depends on its precise size. You should make sure you're not overfeeding your pet. An overweight pig is not healthy and will need to lose weight. If your pig starts gaining weight, talk to a vet about adjusting its diet.
Supplement your pig's diet with vegetables. While pellets should be the staple of a pig's diet, they should not live on pellets alone. A pig should be allowed free time outside to graze on grass. You should also feed it a variety of fresh produce. Stick to low calorie vegetables like leafy greens, celery, carrots, and cucumbers. Avoid higher calorie veggies, like canned vegetables, corn, nuts, and seeds. Fruit can be given to your pig on occasion as a treat, but it should not be a staple of your pig's diet. Stay away from dried fruit, as this is high in calories.
Make sure your pig has access to fresh water. Pigs need access to fresh drinking water at all times. Whether you keep your pig inside or outside, make sure to keep a bowl of fresh water near your pig. Check the water bowl regularly and replace it as needed. If the water gets dirty, replace it with clean water.
Interacting With Your Pig
Encourage your pig to move around. Contrary to popular belief, it is not normal or healthy for a pig to be chubby. You should make sure your pig gets exercise. If you aren't able to let the pig roam around outside, make sure it moves around indoors. A good way to encourage movement is hiding food. Scatter pellets around the floor when feeding your pig. Hide treats around the house for your pig to find. You can easily take your pig for walks on a regular basis as well. You just need a harness and leash, which can be purchased at any pet store.
Litter train your pigs. A pig should have a litter box in your home. You should use a more shallow box than you would for a cat, so a pig should step in and out. Lay down newspapers for your pig to eliminate on. You can also use wood chips as long as they're not cedar. Most pigs will use the litter box on their own without much effort. If your pig defecates outside the box, place the feces in the litter box so the pig knows where to go. Praise the pig for using the box. Pigs are highly intelligent and can understand praise. If you say something like, "Good pig!" after your pig uses its litter box, it will begin to understand.
Play with your pig regularly. Pigs are social animals. They thrive on play, so make sure you play with your pig regularly. A pig that does not get enough attention will not be happy and may act out. You can use rubber dog toys for your pig. You can toss these toys for your pig and it will chase and catch them. Pigs also like puzzle toys. Many pet stores sell toys where you place a treat inside a box a pig must then disassemble. You should also keep a dirt box in your house. Pigs love rooting around in dirt. However, for the sake of your home, keep the dirt box on a tile or laminated floor to make cleaning easier.
Monitor your pig's interaction with small children. In general, potbelly pigs do not make great pets for small children. Make sure young children understand your pig's boundaries. Encourage them to be gentle with the pig. Never leave a pig unsupervised with young children. Make sure young children wash their hands before petting pigs. If pigs smell food on a child's hand, they may bite.
Keeping Your Pig Healthy
Spay or neuter your pig. You do not want a potbelly pig to breed if you're not equipped to handle piglets. There are also certain health and behavioral problems associated with sexual maturity. Males give off a bad odor and may display inappropriate sexual behavior towards humans. Females will go into heat regularly, and may eliminate outside the litter box and make loud noises. Potbelly pigs reach sexual maturity around 8 weeks of age. Shortly after your pig is 8 weeks old, make an appointment to have it spayed or neutered.
Keep your house safe for your pig. You want to make sure your pig can navigate your home safely. Pigs can easily get into cabinets and end up ingesting dangerous substances. Put child locks on cabinets within your pig's reach, or secure them closed with rubber bands. Try to keep hazardous materials in higher cabinets. Clear items from shelves where pigs can reach. A pig could knock an item over and hurt itself. Make sure to keep plants out of your pig's reach. Pigs may dig through house plants.
Make sure you find a vet who will treat pigs. You may have to call a few vets before you find one willing to treat pigs. Not every vet has experience with potbelly pigs. If a conventional pet cannot take your pig, see if you can find a qualified livestock peg in your area.
Stay up to date with basic medical care. Potbelly pigs require basic medical care to thrive. Make regular appointments with your vet to make sure your pig stays up-to-date on basic care. Like all pets, potbelly pigs need regular vaccinations. Make sure to get your pet vaccinated every year. You will also need regular hoof trimming. You should have a veterinarian do this, if possible.
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