Thank you.
The problem must be quite common with a single pig left
I'm just concerned with her quality of life . I am fairly certain that she would find a herd very overwhelming but I have seen the 'retired ' ladies in a Rescue together and they seem very calm. I can't get another pig for other reasons. .
I'll read the guides again .
I had 4 at one time but once they start going it gets awkward.
I had single pigs as a child in the 1960's and this seems cruel now !
Meanwhile. She has had her cumber this afternoon, wee'd on my lap and had a nap. Happy as anything.......
Our first family piggy in the 70ies was a single as well, and he lived for nearly a decade. Like you, I vowed never to have singles again...
I have had nearly 100 piggies pass through my life and at one point I specialised in adopting difficult to bond, stuck in rescue piggies to find them companionship, which worked with most, even though it took me one and a half years and a very tricky slow bonding with dumped ex-single, totally human orientated Beryn to find her the squishiest and gentlest of friends in Betsan - sadly, she died just before the Pandemic hit fully so I couldn't find her new company and had to make do with neighbourship with one of gentles boars and the closest bonding fail as the only neighbour she would tolerate for the rest of her life.
But in my own experience older sows fall into two categories: the ones who value company over any dominance and the ones who will not accept new mates once their last companion passes and who will also ignore any neighbours except for telling them off if they feeling intruded upon.
If you have access to a rescue you can date her and return the company after her death, then that would certainly be your first option; but they are rather hit and miss - and your girl would need to be able to bond. And unless you can return the companion, you are just continuing the see-saw.
I am not saying that your girl may not profit from next door company but there is no one rule for end of the line options; you have to go with what is available locally and what you can provide if an introduction fails.
If you have sow that is already single and you do not want more piggies, then it is worth trying to see whether she can hack it without stimulation first and then explore companionship options later; but you then know better what your last standing piggy actually needs. If you can provide that companionship and increased interaction yourself and your girl remains happy with that, then that is fine. |
Like humans, piggies come in all sorts of personalities and quirks. Life with them is not necessarily about fulfilling the socially accepted brief but exploring their personal needs and concentrating on making their individual life happy within your own constraints. With some piggies you need to think outside the box and not feel bad about yourself for doing so.
I hope that this helps you? Please really take the time to read the singles guide. You should find it very helpful as it tackles many of the issues I have touched up in more depth and detail.
