3 Little Pigs

 I've been preparing for this blog post for weeks! Get ready for plenty of pictures.

On Saturday, July 24, 2022 I adopted three skinny pig babies.

(Simon is on the left, Theodore is in the middle, and Alvin is on the right.)

This was not my original intent. I planned on getting just a pair.

I have owned many, many skinny pigs in my lifetime. This is the complete list.

NAME OF SKINNY PIG(S)	DATES
Roger	2004-2004
Monty	2007-2010
Max	2009-2013
Orville Wilbur	2011-2011 2011-2012
Owen	2013-2017
Kirby	2013-2016
Chocolate Vanilla	2014-2016 2014-2016
Bert Ernie	2016-2018 2016-2020
Cola	2020-2022
Alvin Simon Theodore	2022- 2022- 2022-2022

You will notice that one of them already has a death date. I'm sorry to report that on August 12, the day they were all scheduled to visit the vet for their wellness check, Theodore passed away. I found him in his sleep sack. I'm going to write about all three of them as if they were all still here, and then give an update. 

Cola, my only female skinny pig, died in February 2022. I knew that eventually, I would want another skinny pig pet. Our rabbit, Dolly, died in July 2022. I happened to have some free time, a very dangerous situation for me, and I happened to find an ad on Kijiji for some skinny pig babies. Infants of any type are a special delight to be around - out of all those piggies listed above, I only had Owen, Kirby, Bert, and Ernie as wee little ones. I decided to risk getting two of them and I was considering naming them Lenny and Squiggy, since I had just returned recently from Milwaukee. When I arrived at our designated meeting spot, the breeder told me she was throwing in an extra one for me for free. It's a good thing my husband was present during this exchange, or he might not have believed me!

(In the photo above, Alvin is on the left, Simon in the middle, and Theodore on the right.)

My daughter picked out their names. I really wanted "matching" names for them and thought about Curly, Larry, and Moe, but it didn't fit them. Their approximate birthday is June 24, 2022.

What's in a name? Is it a self-fulfilling prophesy? Ask any teacher who has also been a parent, and they might reveal to you that during the name selection process, there were certain contenders that were eliminated because the educator knew a "naughty" student with that moniker. 

I don't want to pretend like I have great psychic skills, but it's been interesting how the skinny pigs' conduct somewhat fits their names.

Alvin

Even though all three of the pigs are supposed to be brothers, I wonder if Alvin is more of a cousin than a brother.

(Please excuse the poo in the above picture. The "boys" refused to leave their sleep sack so I could clean it so I had to dump them and the contents out !) Alvin is the smallest of the skinny pigs. He is recognizable by the white tuff of fur on his nose.

Alvin might be the smallest but he is probably the loudest and happiest of the pigs. He "popcorns" in the air and makes these loud ear flaps. At first, he was one of the bravest ones, but his bigger brother has taken over that role now. Alvin from Alvin and the Chipmunks (based on the Munkapedia entry about him) is described as the shortest, most impulsive, and charming.

Simon

Simon, the skinny pig at my house, is the largest of the pigs. I tried to measure them and I think he's 6.5 inches (whereas Alvin is 4.5 inches) but I'm not sure. When I took them to the vet for a wellness check, they said that Simon was 484 grams (compared to Alvin at 344 grams).

You can tell which one is Simon by the vertical brown strip that runs from between his ears to his neck. Simon seems to be the smartest of the pigs, clueing in quickly about what items are good to eat or which hiding spots are ideal.

Simon is probably the most "mature", as I've already seen him attempt to do a bit of a "rumble strut" (which is a thing skinny pig males do to show their dominance). Based on the Simon entry on Munkapedia, Simon the chipmunk is the smartest and has a bit of a rivalry with Alvin.

Theodore

I liked the markings on Theodore before I even met him. He is the most timid of all the skinny pigs, and that's saying something, considering how much the skinny pig babies love to hide together.

Theodore is recognizable by the ring of light brown skin under his neck and across his back. It's hard to get a photo of Theodore by himself, because he's always tagging along with his brothers. This photo below of him getting measured is probably inaccurate. My estimation is that he's 5.5 inches, but squirmy, skittish piggies don't like to stay still for long

Theodore the skinny pig shares many traits in common with his namesake, Theodore the chipmunk. On the Munkapedia, Theodore is described as shy and sensitive.

The Trio

I'm trying not to treat the pigs like a set, but it's hard not to. They squabble a bit vocally but love to huddle together in the sleep sacks and in the pigloo. They learn from each other - when one discovers a tasty treat in the cage, the rest will follow (and usually try to steal the one the leader has, rather than grab the extra stock right nearby).

(This above photo is of their first day at their new home. They are all shiny because the breeder moisturized them with coconut oil.)

My family has been very good about helping me with them. I'm trying to get them used to being handled but they really don't like it much at all. I've caught my husband, who is not much of a pet person, watching them and monitoring them closely to ensure they are safe and contented. 

Update: August 12 was a bit of a shock. I did not expect one of the trio to pass away so suddenly. I know that when skinny pigs die at school, the students always want to know why. Often I will explain that we don't know, adding in that skinny pigs only live about four years on average, in my experience. (This website says guinea pigs last 5-8 years but the oldest pig I had was 4 years old.)  I did not take Theodore's body to the vet but the vet said that it can be hard to determine, even with a necroscopy (like an autopsy), and could have been congenital. We will just have to be content with not knowing. He was fine the night before, eating and socializing with the others. It'll be hard to see just two instead of three.

The other unfortunate news is that the remaining two skinny pigs have a skin infection. According to this website, skin issues are common, but this is the first time I've had to do two different kinds of medicated shampoo baths, PLUS antibiotics, for both pigs. In the past, I've had to deal with antibiotics, ear drops, and major surgery for my pig pets (where we got to keep the x-rays, which were fascinating to the students), but bathing the cavies will be a new experience. Vet bills aren't cheap either, but we are lucky we have a vet nearby that specializes in "exotics" (yes, skinny pigs count as exotic pets) and cost is just part of the responsibility of pet ownership. 

Once the pigs get over their skin condition, I'll bring them to school. I can't wait to see what the students' reaction will be to these two (not three) little pigs.