I really think my pig doesn't like us!

[Curlybrunette]

Hi everyone,

So we had 2 piggies, one sadly died last year so after a little while we went back to the rescue to get Bertha a friend.

We got 2 girls, a mum and her 9 week old baby.

Bertha is not in good health, god love her she's 6.5, has a tumour somewhere but isn't suffering at the moment so we're leaving her be for the minute, anyway, she can't move fast enough anymore to run away, when we go near her she sits and lets us pick her up and will stay happily on our knee for hours.

Sugar is the mum. She sometimes runs way but half the time will sit there and let us pick her up, she is lovely and likes to have a little explore and then seems happy sitting on our chest/crook of neck.

Then there's Pepper....she's the baby who is now 7 months old. I just don't think she likes us and I don't know why! She appears terrified, when we have them all out if she's sat on our knee she always climbs underneath the others so her head and as much as her body as possible is covered.
Trying to catch her is a sport in itself, they're in a 4x3 C&C and the speed she can whiz around that cage is impressive.

(We also have just rescued another old lady who's partner died. Ruby is almost 6 her previous owner said and is a proper quiet lady. She is spending a lot of time on her own in the cage, but I have noticed Bertha sitting with her slightly more. We've only had her a couple of weeks so I think she is probably freaked out that she's gone from a quiet house with only 2 adults to our mad house with loud kids and 3 other pigs. I think she's ok, is definately eating and drinking, just very wary right now).

Have any of you had pigs (or other pets) that didn't like you, did you persuade them to like you in the end or had you obviously wronged them in some way and were never forgiven?!?

[FernieB]

She doesn't hate you. She's just a pig. They are contrary little things with plenty of personality. Sounds like she's still playing 'baby' and running to the adults for protection. If so, she'll probably grow out of it. She may never like being picked up - some pigs don't - but it doesn't mean she doesn't like you. You sound like a great pig-mum, so I wouldn't worry about it. It's just the way she is.