Pot-bellied pigs make great pets, they’re intelligent, affectionate, and adorable. But properly taking care of them can be difficult. 

Pigs are a lot to handle. If you want your pig to be healthy, you should get it spayed or neutered early on. Waiting to get your pig spayed or neutered can cause complications. This is also important for their overall health and behavior.

 Speaking from experience, not having a spayed female is rough. They get loud and angry when they go into heat. 

When it comes to their overall health, their hooves should regularly be trimmed. Long hooves can cause damage to their feet. 

For hoof trimming, you can either go to a professional that is trained for pigs or trim them yourself. This can actually help create a bond between you and your pig.

Another aspect of care is brushing your pig. Make sure you brush them often to avoid flaky skin and fleas. Be sure to also moisturize them with coconut oil to keep their skin soft, but just like humans, test a small area before applying lotion to make sure there are no allergies.

Despite all the stereotypes of pigs being overweight, a healthy adult pig should only weigh 60-110 pounds.

Regarding their behavior, pigs are very social and intelligent animals. If you want to introduce them to other pets, they get along with cats but not dogs. While this varies depending on the animal, this is the norm. 

If you notice your pig is digging in the ground, they are just rooting. Rooting is the process of digging through its surroundings to find food, something to play with or to cool down. This is completely normal behavior.

Pigs can even be trained to use a litter box with the right process, so there is no need to worry about taking them outside.

If your pig lives outside, make sure they have a place to cool down, if they’re out in the heat for too long then they’re at risk of having a stroke.

Keep in mind that pigs can be extremely manipulative. If they don’t think that you’re in charge, they won’t respect your authority and will become aggressive if they don’t get what they want, much like a spoiled toddler.

Despite that, pigs are very affectionate; they enjoy being pet, and if they’re stimulated enough, they’ll plop down on their side to get you to pet their stomach. 

For your pig’s diet, avoid feeding them foods that are high in sugar and processed foods. Feeding them this will result in health problems. 

Only feed your pig vegetables, backyard grass, and fruits that are high in fiber but low in sugar.