It was a decision I saw coming. One we were totally in denial about. As awful as it felt and as hard as it was to let go we had to rehome our precious little Violet. I’m so incredibly heart broken. Unfortunately several things were adding up for us to know it just wasn’t fair to keep her here. Our little 16 year old, Najah, and 11 year old, Mardi, were having a really hard time fully adjusting to our little 2 month old piggy. They are old and set in their ways, she’s a playful piglet that doesn’t understand why they growl at her when she relentlessly roots on them or attempts to nibble on their ears or tails. Najah has never ever been violent, but I didn’t want to wait and see if there would be the day. Oddly enough, he has truly been the most patient pup when it has come to our children and grandchildren. And while Mardi has fully adjusted to our family and Najah we are still learning her demeanor, so we had no idea if she would really reach a breaking point with Violet either. It wasn’t something I was willing to ignore, no matter how much it kills me/us to see her go. Thankfully we found an amazing family with very similar views and values as ours that have happily welcomed her into their home. I spent antire day talking to her before deciding they were a good fit for her. Amanda even offered to let us visit any time. It’s probably a good thing they live two hours away, or I would want to visit often. Now our sweet little forever loved Violet has 7 chickens, 9 ducks, 3 kiddos, and a new mama and daddy to adore her. No more grumpy growling pups, but I have a feeling she will give those chickens and ducks a run for their money. Our home already feels so different without her. Having Violet here was very much like having a new baby here, minus the diapers and she let us sleep at night. She was my little shadow. She cuddled me for naps. She oinked her little tail off if I was cooking. She loved all of her toys. She adores belly rubs. And got way better at bathtime. Thankfully the girls are taking it better than expected, they were sad to see her go, but understood our reasoning. Some day we will no longer live in a home with an HOA that could potentially fight us over having certain animals. Someday we will own sprawling land far away from here and Matt promises me all of the piggies, chickens, and mini goats my heart desires. I’ll forever be thankful for the summer my children and grandchildren had a piggy friend. That our children will always remember the silly moments spent with her on the beach and watching her go crazy over mini oreos, watermelon slices, blueberries, beignets, Creole tomatoes, and snowballs. You’ll forever be missed sweet Violet, but you deserve so much more than we can offer you at the moment. 

If you are considering becoming a piggy parent do your research. And when you think you know all there is to being a piggy parent do even more research. Know the facts. It is one of the most rewarding experiences, and also so much work. Pigs are the 4th most intelligent animal behind chimpanzees, dolphins, and elephants. This fact can make it easier to be a piggy parent and also has the potential of making it more challenging. They are brilliant and will use it to their advantage given the opportunity. Also, don’t believe breeders that tell you your piggy will stay tiny. That’s complete nonsense. We went into it knowing Violet was all of 4 lbs when we got her at 4 weeks old. She was also almost 11 lbs when she went to her new home. There is no such things as a teacup pig. The only way you will keep your pig tiny is by starving them, which is down right animal cruelty. A healthy mini pig should range anywhere from 75 lbs at the bare minimum and up to 150 lbs. They don’t stop growing until they are 5. Their life expectancy is up to 20 years old. Be sure you’re not living in a town or city that has no swine laws. If you’re going to have a piggy as a domestic animal you really should have them spayed or neutered for countless reasons. As fun as it is (we learned this fact late in the game) you shouldn’t hand feed them. They will associate your hand with food and will eventually get food aggression. Violet was tiny, and was becoming this way with me, because I was her only source of food. Tiny as she is, that little snout hurts when she is plowing it into my hand and arms searching for food all day. I actually ended up with many bruises. We made sure to pass this knowledge on to her new family so that they won’t make the same mistakes we did. I don’t say these things to deter someone from wanting a pig. I say it because I now know statistically 95% of pigs are rehomed due to many of the above stated facts. Mostly due to size. That was the least of our worries, we were prepared to love Violet in all of her plumpness as she grew up into the beautiful girl she will be.  I guess what I’m trying to say is just know your piggy before you commit.