People should consider their options thoroughly before getting a pig as a pet, as it is a very different experience from caring for more traditional household animals, a pet adoption service said last month.
Typical misconceptions about pigs are that they are dirty, smelly and germ-ridden, but these ideas are rooted in the human psyche, said a founding member of the Happy Pigs’ Home adoption service, who asked to be identified as Anita.
People’s perception of pigs is key to whether the pigs feel happy, Anita said, adding that potential owners must fully understand what a pet pig would mean to the household.
Photo: Lee Jung-ping, Taipei Times
Families with elderly or young members should be careful, as their slower reaction times could lead to injury with a pig in the home, she said.
Pigs are extremely territorial and tend to only recognize one master for life, which could cause friction between couples, Anita said, adding that some couples have argued and even divorced over a pet pig.
Potential owners should consider emulating owners abroad and have their pigs sleep with them, she said.
Blankets are essential, as pigs do not have much hair to keep them warm, she said.
Owners should not leave food lying around and might even need to chain up their refrigerators to prevent their pet from accessing it, Anita said.
As sound pollution can be an issue, people who live in less urbanized areas or have sound-proofed homes would be more suited to owning a pet pig, she said.
Pigs are known to distance themselves from owners who cage them and as they grow and become unruly, they require larger enclosures, which generates a vicious cycle, Anita said.
Pigs are very clean, she said.
They do not have a strong body odor and prefer not to defecate where they sleep, she said, adding that the stereotypical view of dirty and smelly pigs is because owners fail to clean them.
Pigs do have a propensity to play in mud and are liable to become dirty when going outside, she said, but added that they are easy to clean because they do not have much hair.
Pigs are omnivorous, and their diet should comprise of roots, leaves, fruit, oatmeal and olive oil, Anita said, adding that piglets under three months old also need milk.
Powdered milk is also acceptable, she added.
For owners, medical fees are the prime expense, Anita said, citing the sterilization of female pigs as an example.
The surgery, which should be done by a veterinarian familiar with pig anatomy, plus the anesthetic — which must be given according to a pet’s size — means the procedure is more expensive than for more common pets, Anita said.
Pig owners should neuter or spay their pets when they are little, she said.
Pet pigs enjoy interacting with their owners and demand a lot of attention, she said, adding that they also need periodic walks, as this helps their digestion.
The manufacture of the remaining 28 M1A2T Abrams tanks Taiwan purchased from the US has recently been completed, and they are expected to be delivered within the next one to two months, a source said yesterday. The Ministry of National Defense is arranging cargo ships to transport the tanks to Taiwan as soon as possible, said the source, who is familiar with the matter. The estimated arrival time ranges from late this month to early next month, the source said. The 28 Abrams tanks make up the third and final batch of a total of 108 tanks, valued at about NT$40.5 billion
Two Taiwanese prosecutors were questioned by Chinese security personnel at their hotel during a trip to China’s Henan Province this month, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. The officers had personal information on the prosecutors, including “when they were assigned to their posts, their work locations and job titles,” MAC Deputy Minister and spokesman Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said. On top of asking about their agencies and positions, the officers also questioned the prosecutors about the Cross-Strait Joint Crime-Fighting and Judicial Mutual Assistance Agreement, a pact that serves as the framework for Taiwan-China cooperation on combating crime and providing judicial assistance, Liang
A group from the Taiwanese Designers in Australia association yesterday represented Taiwan at the Midsumma Pride March in Melbourne. The march, held in the St. Kilda suburb, is the city’s largest LGBTQIA+ parade and the flagship event of the annual Midsumma Festival. It attracted more than 45,000 spectators who supported the 400 groups and 10,000 marchers that participated this year, the association said. Taiwanese Designers said they organized a team to march for Taiwan this year, joining politicians, government agencies, professionals and community organizations in showing support for LGBTQIA+ people and diverse communities. As the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex
MOTIVES QUESTIONED The PLA considers Xi’s policies toward Taiwan to be driven by personal considerations rather than military assessment, the Epoch Times reports Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) latest purge of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) leadership might have been prompted by the military’s opposition to plans of invading Taiwan, the Epoch Times said. The Chinese military opposes waging war against Taiwan by a large consensus, putting it at odds with Xi’s vision, the Falun Gong-affiliated daily said in a report on Thursday, citing anonymous sources with insight into the PLA’s inner workings. The opposition is not the opinion of a few generals, but a widely shared view among the PLA cadre, the Epoch Times cited them as saying. “Chinese forces know full well that
RSS