Simba came to us as a local owner surrender, but like many pigs, he was bounced around a bit before he arrived at his last home. When Simba was born, he was purchased to be a house pig. His original family was likely told he would stay under 50 lbs and would be as easy to own as a dog or cat. Sadly this myth of 'mini pigs' and what easy pets they are is so detrimental to the animals.

The truth is that the term 'mini pig' is often used as a substitute term for potbelly pigs, which can grow as big as 300 lbs depending on their care, exercise, feeding, etc. They have the mental capacity of a human toddler, and without the proper stimulation they can become frustrated, angry, and destructive. When unsuspecting owners purchase potbelly pigs for the novelty of owning a pig and without doing their research, and that pig grows to be larger than 50 lbs (Simba is 80 lbs and still on the small end of the pigs we currently have), and becomes dominant and destructive from being bored, many are at a loss for how to rehome them safely.

Simba's original family found a greenhouse that was willing to take him in as an exciting attraction for their visitors. Sadly it seems his life there was not as he deserved. We were told he was kept in a tiny enclosure without any access to the outside world. There he sat until he was posted as free to good home on Facebook. This could have led to him being abused or slaughtered, but luckily a kind family saw the post and took him in. They brought him home, and when they realized he deserved a better life than they could provide, they sought to rehome him. They posted him again for free on Facebook, which again could have been very dangerous for him, but this time we saw the post and when we reached out and offered to help, they were thrilled to surrender him so he would be safe and loved for the rest of his life.

We won't sugar coat it, Simba can be a difficult pig. Having had so little human interaction in his recent years, he is territorial and needs a confident and experienced owner to guide him to be a better behaved piggie. With a confident handler he is a mush, rolling over for belly rubs and barking at you for cuddles, but he will take advantage of someone who is nervous or fearful around him and will nip.

We think Simba would actually be happiest as an only pig in his new home, something we do not usually say. He could live with other pigs happily, but he seems much more comfortable when he doesn't have to compete with other pigs for human attention and the best sleeping spots.

If you think Simba is your perfect pig, let us know! He could live as an indoor or outdoor pig very well!

Apply today at waywardranch.org!