What to ask/look for when adopting?

[pixie]

Hello Everyone,
I am new to this forum.. just signed up yesterday.. but I have been lurking for couple weeks. I don't have any piggies yet but looking into adopting two. I have doing a lot of research on them (cages, bedding, food, etc....) and I have couple of questions on what to look for or ask when you are at a shelter/rescue.

1. What do you look for in a piggy? Do you prefer the ones that are running all over the place or the shy ones?
2. For those who have had females and males.. do you see a difference in character between the two?
3. Do you prefer a younger one (months vs.)than an older one(years)? I ask this because I would think that the younger ones would be easier to tame vs the older ones who hardly got any affection. Opinions please?
4. Do you touch their fur and their skin for any skin problem? What are the common symptoms for skin problems?
5. Does the shelter give you a cage of some sort to bring home your piggies in? Or should we have a cage for the ride home?
6. Long distance shelters/rescues... whats the furthest (miles?) you have traveled to pick up your piggie from a shelter.

I have so many other questions, but I'll keep this thread short.. hehe
Thanks!!!
J

[SerpentineSylph]

1. What do you look for in a piggy? Do you prefer the ones that are running all over the place or the shy ones?
I look for whatever pig grabs me. It's like picking a friend or mate, it's just their personality (and of course, a bit of their looks... ). I think it's all a matter of personal preference, there's not one type that's "better" than the other.

2. For those who have had females and males.. do you see a difference in character between the two?
I've always found that boys seem to be a bit more vibrant, they seem a little more outgoing and more goofy. That's just my personal preference and experience, though.

3. Do you prefer a younger one (months vs.)than an older one(years)? I ask this because I would think that the younger ones would be easier to tame vs the older ones who hardly got any affection. Opinions please?
I think it's just that the younger ones are tiny and cute, and that's really the only benefit of getting a younger one. Whether you get a pig at 3 months or 3 years doesn't matter, you never know how long either have so I think age in regards to life span isn't an important subject. I adopted a 3 year old boar with a shady past and he was very timid to get, but after only a couple weeks, he's coming up for attention, he loves to cuddle (even in the beginning), and he's the goofiest thing. He runs, and popcorns and is just a ball to watch. I was worried that an older pig might be harder to tame, but I think they're fairly even with a young pig that barely, if ever been handled.

5. Does the shelter give you a cage of some sort to bring home your piggies in? Or should we have a cage for the ride home?
I'm not sure if they do, as I brought mine, but it's wise to have your own carrier anyway. Vet trips, road trips, even temporary holding - a carrier's worth the very small investment.

6. Long distance shelters/rescues... whats the furthest (miles?) you have traveled to pick up your piggie from a shelter.
We only traveled an hour to pick up Doc, though I would go further if necessary. If you're patient, though, there will be more pigs available in your area if there's not one or two you like now. There's also most certainly nothing wrong with traveling a few hours or more to pick up a pig. There's also the "piggy train" where you can contact different pig loving people, friends or family to pick up your pig(s) and travel a distance, hand off the pig to the next person and so on.

[wickedrodent]

1. What do you look for in a piggy? Do you prefer the ones that are running all over the place or the shy ones?
One of each

2. For those who have had females and males.. do you see a difference in character between the two?
Not something that is definate. My girls are hyper and my boy is more layed back, but it is not always this way. It depends on the pig.

3. Do you prefer a younger one (months vs.)than an older one(years)? I ask this because I would think that the younger ones would be easier to tame vs the older ones who hardly got any affection. Opinions please?
I have (2) 1 year old pigs and (2) 3 year old pigs. The male 3 year old is the calmest.. Followed by one of the 1 year olds, than the other 3 year old, and finally my hyper alpha girl (also 1 year). It really depends. The more time you spend with the, the better. Age is just a number, really.

4. Do you touch their fur and their skin for any skin problem? What are the common symptoms for skin problems?
Any new pet that you get should see a vet. Even small animals such as guinea pigs, hamster, rats, etc.. A vet will be able to tell you any problem he/she has. Veggies with high-vit c will help keep them healthy.

5. Does the shelter give you a cage of some sort to bring home your piggies in? Or should we have a cage for the ride home?
Some do, but you should still have your own for vet trips and emergency evacuation situations.

6. Long distance shelters/rescues... whats the furthest (miles?) you have traveled to pick up your piggie from a shelter.
We recently traveled 4 hrs (one way) to pick up Divinci and Do.

[naturegal592]

I am about to travel 24 hours round trip to pick up 2 pigs. Crazy?... Maybe. We are making a 3 day family trip out of it. It will mostly involve sight seeing from the car but it will be a nice getaway. How big of a cage do I need for two female pigs in the car? They will be in the car for 6 hours then we'll get a room for the night and drive another 6 hours home. At the hotel I will give them floor time in the bathroom. I am thinking about a folding 2x2 if it will fit with out things. We have a jeep liberty, but we also have a 3 yr old so I cant fold the whole seat down.