Dear Friend,
Hello! Thanks for checking in to read Tracks by the Post! We had a good week - we met a pig named Gordon!
Gordon lives with his family in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. He truly enjoys the quiet, simplicity of being himself. He has a family that not only loves him for who he is, but that is also committed to his life-long, well-being.
Piglets are cute and I am a proponent for adopting animal friends, but I am NOT suggesting that you bring a piglet home today! In fact, before you surprise someone with a piglet for Christmas, please consider this story about Gordon.
Ok, Gordon was a Christmas gift. But not from Santa. The thoughtful gifting of baby Gordon to mom, Geri, from daughter, Cassidy, was not at all out of character for Cassidy, and not at all unwelcomed by Geri.
As a grown up, animal rescues are still part of Cassidy’s world. But she started early in life, researching and actualizing the care and rehabilitation of countless injured and abandoned animals and birds. Geri supported her daughter’s efforts, i.e.: supplying a warming trough in Cassidy’s bedroom closet for the baby ducks that, of course, followed Cassidy up the hallway to the bathtub for swimming lessons. At fourteen, Cassidy found an abandoned newly-born kitten and with bottle feedings every two hours, night after night, the kitten thrived, and has lived happily with this family for nearly 19 years.
Gordon the piglet was as small as a cat when he arrived that Christmas.
He grew up as an indoor / outdoor pig with his cat and chicken friends. (Yes, chickens, too, had places to rest inside the house).
Gordon liked to hang out with Phyllis, a chicken that tended to lay her egg while Gordon looked on, and, yes, Gordon was often caught with egg on his face.
Pigs are unique pets. They require daily consideration regarding training, nutrition, exercise and supervision, they need to have regular vet checks and maintenance, and, in return, they are full of life, curiosity, and personality.
Do you think that maybe you’d like to have a pig? First of all, I suppose you know that living with a pig will change your life. But what about the pig’s life?
A piglet will bond with you and if you decide not to keep it once it grows up, it will be very difficult for the pig to bond with anyone else. Pigs have emotions, reactions, they make decisions, need supervision, they cry tears, get mad, have tantrums, need comfort …
Pigs can get really big and live for 20 years, and if after knowing all of that, you still decide to make this commitment, it can be a wonderful and lovely thing!
Something else to consider: You can easily lift your piglet, but can you lift your pig? If you are asking, ‘Why would I ever want to lift my pig?’ Imagine this…
September, 2022, wildfire breaks out near Gordon’s neighborhood and the whole area had to evacuate. Geri’s husband, Pierre, was out of town. Neighbors came to help lift Gordon into the car. Luckily, Gordon was crate-trained from his piglet days. The plan was to get him into his crate and lift the crate into the car… this should be easy!
But, of course, Gordon wouldn’t cooperate when four neighborhood men tried and tried to lure the 200 lb pig into his crate. As a sensitive creature, the longer it took, the more stressed Gordon became. Finally, one of the men, a very strong and younger guy, tried some wrestle moves, and Ta Da, the pig was in the crate! (Note: apparently pigs squeal horror-ifically when they are upset)! The men lifted the crate up to the back of the Subaru but the crate didn’t fit! Longer story shortened: Gordon was lured through his crate door into the car and the hatch was shut behind him. Geri drove away, evacuating her property with Phyliss the chicken and two cats, Scout and Gary, all in cages, and one loose pig in the back of a Subaru.
The fire was fought, the neighborhood spared and at the end of a ten day stay at her daughter’s house (over 100 miles away), Geri drove Gordon, Phyllis, Scout, and Gary home again safe and sound.
We first saw Gordon standing in his yard surrounded by Black Oak trees and tall pines. His tail was swishing happily and he was crunching loudly on one acorn at a time. Although pigs don’t have very good eyesight they have an excellent sense of smell so Gordon has no trouble locating acorn snacks.
These acorns will eventually finish dropping for the season, meanwhile, his veterinarian adjusts his otherwise, fairly strict, diet. (Naturally occurring acorn snacks are high in calories. Like most creatures, it isn’t healthy for pigs to get ‘fat’). This family is fortunate to have found a wonderful Veterinarian that comes to the house. The next visit will be to trim Gordon’s toe-nails and, (if necessary), his tusks, just part of the care and maintenance of a pet pig.
Every day is fairly predictable for Gordon. (He is not fond of change). The trees and a lovely wooden hay-lined structure give him a choice of sun or shade in his yard during the day but he always sleeps in the house at night, safe from mountain lions, bears, coyotes and bob cats. Day or night, he enjoys quiet times lounging on his bed in the living room by the fireplace.
His ears are sensitive to noises, so he prefers silence to music and television. He is also given the option of sleeping in his crate. I guess it depends on his mood.
If you love and have cared for a 3-year-old human child, you might be able to relate to Gordon’s attitudes, willfulness and affection. As I mentioned, pigs usually choose one person to bond with. Gordon bonded with Geri, the mom of the family.
She is soft-spoken, but she is also firm and consistent and gives Gordon every opportunity to make good choices. With this upbringing, he’s turned out to be a loving, expressive guy. Gordon is 5 years old.
We are grateful to Gordon and his family for welcoming us into their home. Since Frank and his camera were stressfully new to Gordon, we chose a less-is-more approach to our interactions with him during our visit.
As always, thank you for being here to read Tracks by the Post! Please write and let us know how things are going in your world, we truly enjoy hearing from you!
Gently Be,
Leslie and Frank
Photos of younger Gordon, chickens, and cat friends courtesy of Gordon's family, Thank You!