OWNING A PET PIG - ZUZU DOOM THE PIG

I have a pig. I've mentioned her before, but I figured I should share some more about her. Her full name is Zuzu Doom. Why? I've always loved the name Zuzu, ever since my friend named her dog Zuzu after the film It's A Wonderful Life. When I got my pig, I asked my friend for permission to use her dog's name and she graciously gave it to me. My roommates and neighbors, however, wanted to name the pig Doom because they thought it would be funny. So we compromised. And thus Zuzu Doom the pig was born - in July 2017 on a farm in Fresno, California.

I've had Zuzu since October 2017, and life with her has been quite a riot. Zuzu is a Juliana pig, which is a type of mini pig. Her father is 65 pounds at 5 years old and she was the runt of the litter, so I'm anticipating her to get around 60 lbs or so within the next couple of years.

Last night I brought her to a party and met 50 to 70 people who nearly loved her to death. We set her up in the master bedroom with her litter box, and had around 8 people at a time come in and feed her her pig pellets. Zuzu's been around people ever since she was 3 months old, so I have hopes that she could possibly become a therapy pig in the future. Yes, therapy pigs exist! But lemme back up a little.

For anyone who's considering a pet pig, be forewarned that they are a handful. They can open refrigerators and cupboards, eat what's inside, and then close it so nobody finds out. That's how smart they are! And the reason why I have to baby-proof my fridge and cabinets when she gets older and figures that out. In pig owner groups and pig forums (yes they exist and I am in all of them) they are often referred to as eternal toddlers. It really is like having a baby, or a toddler rather. I don't regret getting Zuzu, but she has changed my life as pigs do. Most days I feel like a single mother, taking care of my brood of animals, and I do envy couples who can share the responsibility as I have full-time work as well. But with roommates and neighbors, friends that help pig-sit for me, (luckily there's no shortage of people volunteering to hang out with Zuzu) it's been working. Zuzu is well-socialized, she knows tricks: sit, circle (spin around), touch (her nose to your hand), and stay. She also knows her name and I suspect she can tell time as she knows exactly when she's supposed to be fed in the morning and evening. She's also leash-trained, harness-trained, and litter-box trained. We go on "walks" where she really just stays at the first patch of grass she sees for half an hour. I bring along her favorite treats, Cheerios, and use that to get her to move, but even then we are moving at a snail's pace.

I did years of research before getting a pig, and I can't say I recommend it for everyone. Whenever someone expresses interest in also getting a pig, I make sure they hear her scream first. Because the foremost thing you have to know about pigs is that they do not like being picked up. Their only defense is to flee, so when they're picked up, they lose their only defense strategy and behave like they're going to die. Pigs SCREAM when they think they're going to die, and it really sounds like someone is being murdered. Hence the phrase "squeal like a pig," although it should really be "scream like a pig". It feels like your eardrums are about to burst. Fortunately, she only does it when she is picked up the wrong way, or picked up by someone she doesn't trust. She does make constant hilarious noises that range from whining and squealing to snorting and wheezing. She also has a laughing sound!