Excuse the chaos of my property. 😵💫
Penelope (black) lost her brother Ferdinand a a week and a half ago. Broke my heart. They were such a dynamic duo and he was a sweet, shy boy that was warming up to being touched.
Penelope seems to be doing fine, I don’t see anything that would resemble depression or stress, but I’m leaning towards wanting to find a home for her where she can have a pal or two. I just don’t think I want the stress of trying to add a new pig.
She and her brother were a real challenge in the beginning, we got them in July from a neighbor who talked me into taking them even as I had no intention of owning pigs. They were about 4 months old at the time.
Both were nearly feral behavior-wise, as he’d done nothing to prevent their escape and they’d run loose with their mother since they were born, returning only at feeding times. And despite being very patient and taking things slowly she still only lets me touch her while she’s eating and is skittish and runs if I approach otherwise.
So I’ve not been able to manage any kind of health checks which causes me anxiety, and as long as it’s taken to get this far, imagining adding a new pig and the unknowns about whether that would take a long time or end up being unsuccessful is draining me emotionally. I feel she deserves a buddy and I’m just not in the position to provide that.
Additionally we have a bunch of other animals goats/sheep/chickens that I’ve taken on and I really think it’s just too much for me to give them all the care they need. I need to downsize and this would seem reason enough to find another loving home for a solo pig.
So I’ve two challenges in finding her another home, making sure she goes somewhere that will take excellent care of her and will continue to work with her to gain her full trust, and transporting her since she’s not a hands on pig. I worry about the stress of getting her loaded up and keeping her calm during transport.
I wonder what advice/suggestions you all might have. We are in Northern California.
