Pet of the Month - Pebbles, a very special p(ig)et

By Anna Muggiati

Relaxing like a ...pet!

Happy nap

Pebbles was adopted by a family that really knows how to enjoy his demanding and creative personality. Our star of the month has been featured in our social network, has many adorable photos and can be seen playing with his dog-buddies in the yard on our Facebook page.

So forget all you might previously think about pigs. As Andre, his owner, tells us, a pig can be a very fun pet to have, but also a handful, and in his words, "acting more like a toddler than a pet".  The decision to take Pebbles home was fast but an informed one: "I call it an unplanned adoption. Although we did our home work and knew what to expect wen we decided to adopt him. Educating ourselves on how to properly care for him was incredibly important. ", tells Andre. He is just a great pet all around. He is friendly with visitors. He doesn’t jump up or bark constantly. He like car rides and walking on a leash.  He is smart and silly and definitely has his own personality.

Yes, he's a potbellied pig indeed!

Pebbles, former known as Sherlock Ham has a interesting story behind him. "Pebbles ended up at Helen Woodward Animal Center and since the center is a dog and cats adoption facility, they didn’t really know what to do with a pig. My wife, who works at the Animal Center, always wanted a pig." tells Andre. Fate helped former Mr Sherlock Hams, and he had his lucky day: "So she called me and asked if she can bring him home. I didn’t know what else to say than yes. It was one of the best decisions we made. He is an amazing companion.", says Andre.

Social Pebbles!

Next, they gave the pig a new name, to go along his resident dog friends Betty and Barney. "Although Pebbles isn’t really a boy's name, but Bam-Bam was just too close to Ham-Ham.", says Andre. Very soon Andre and his wife found out about his natural gifts: "Pebbles is definitely different than dogs and cats. He is extremely smart and has figured out how to open baby gates. It took us a day to potty train him and he learns by watching. He saw that the dogs got treats when they sat, so one day he just started to come up and sit next to us when we were giving out treats, in hopes of getting one too."

Dreaming

Besides being a fast learner, the very intelligent pig is also eager to have lots of attention: "He likes to be stimulated with toys and cuddles. If he wants attention, he definitely lets us know by pushing us with his nose. If we ignore him, he can get impatient and he has no problem pulling the phone cable out of the wall if we are on the phone.  He understands when he is being ignored and lets us know he doesn't like it when he wants attention."

So if by now you are almost considering to add someone like Pebbles to your pet-family, here's a little piece of advice: "You do not want a bored pig! A bored pig is a mischievous pig. We give him toys and play games with him. Most of them involve food as a reward. His favorite toy is a busy ball. When he rolls the ball around, food falls out of the smaller holes scattered around the ball. We also built a root box for him filled with pit balls. We sprinkle some food in the root box and he can go dig around. ". So a busy pig is also a fan of comfort: "If he isn’t exploring the backyard, he likes to hang out on the couch buried in pillows and blankets or on our lap.  He also loves belly rubs.", tells Andre.

Yes, he is a toddler!

How are you Pebbles?

I'm so happy!Thank you for choosing me as pet of the month!

What is your favorite activity?

I love rooting around the backyard and smelling the flowers. Sometimes I eat them. The sun feels good on my skin, so I love to take naps outside. My skin is very sensitive, so I really like laying on my side and getting my belly rubbed.

Do you like humans? 

Not your average pet!

Yes I love humans!  I'm a little slow to get to know new people, but I am not afraid to meet them.  I have a very strong bond with the humans in my family.  Every now and then, I get to go to Helen Woodward Animal Center to take part in Critter Camp.  I get to hang out with a lot of kids and teach them about caring for animals like me.  They always have some snacks for me to munch on.

Whose pet are you?

I am definitely a mama's boy. My human mom spends a lot of time with me, so I feel comfortable when she is close.

Do you need a muddy spot to have fun?

No, mud is not important to me. I like to smell dirt and plants and flowers, but I don't roll around in it.  Believe it or not, I like to be clean and I don’t like to go outside when it rains. Cold, cloudy days make me sad and I usually stay inside, bundled up in blankets.

What is your favorite restaurant? 

 Rubios. We go once a week. The manager always gives me my own little bow of tortilla chips.

Here comes the sun!