Jigger the house pig needs a home

Jigger a not-so-mini mini-pigwho loves belly scratches is looking for a new forever family where he can be top hog.

"He's the type he'll come sit next to you on the couch, he loves a belly rub and an ear scratch and he likes to follow you around to see what you're doing," said Jigger'sfoster mother Heather Ballard, a volunteer with Rescue NL who already has a pig of her own.

"He's very sweet and loving but he's a little bit dominant, I think that's why my pig and him don't get along."

Jigger was given up by its owner, who started working longer hours and didn't have as much time to spend with him.

The 18-month-old pig is used to getting a lot of attention and like most pigs, he can be destructive if he's understimulated or bored.

"What I do to keep pigs busy is give them the doggie puzzles you can buy, you put the treats in them and they have to figure out how to get them out," said Ballard, who sets up five of them to keep Jiggeroccupied while she's out of the house.

Smart cookie

"Funny enough, they're much smarter than dogs because, I tell ya, those pigs can whip those treats out way faster than a dog. Some of my dogs can't actually ever get the treats out, they just give up."

Jigger is neutered and house trained, but Ballard said pigs require different care than dogs or cats.

"People need to know it's not the same thing, and if you do get a pig you really shouldn't leave it alone with any other animals because things can happen."

The ideal adoptive family for Jigger would have no other animals in the home, a lot of time to spend with himand a yard.

Large and in charge

Ballard said Jigger's owner thought she was buying a micro-pig, butprospective pig parents need to realizethe termis a bit of a myth.

"It's a big misconception micro-pigs, I guess, don't really exist. He is more so a mini-pig, but even so for a mini-pig people expect something smaller," she said.

"Pigs can grow until they're five years old a lot of people get them because they're fads, and they're cute, and they're small, but they do grow to be quite big."

You can find more information about adopting Jigger or any of the animals Rescue NL is fostering on the group's Facebook page.