Great job, Piggy Palace is a mighty fine place to call home for the winter !!!!

We put our dogs on adequan injections and I do believe it helped them tremendously in their senior years.

Nice. We are happiest when we know our critters are comfortable.

They are definitely piggy prince and princesses!! So adorable!!!

My boy Sam had to start adequan injections last year and they have made such a great difference! I hope they are as helpful to Lilly!

Always love your pictures!

What pampered piglets you have! I love the warm glow on Lily beneath the lamp. : ) So happy the injections are helping her arthritis. You are the best momma ever!

thanks, everybody! i went out last night before bed to check on them. they were in a piggy pile, cozy as 3 bugs in a rug. :)

ladybug, i have been thinking about talking to my vet about starting olivia (great dane) on adequan. she will be 9 in the spring and while she gets around great, i do occasionally here her joints creaking. wish that stuff could be used on humans!!! lol

Oh gosh! I thought you just had a clever title but you really do have piggies! Very nice. Honestly, I wish all animal owners were as thoughtful and caring.

i don't see the point in having pets unless you spoil them rotten, right? ;) i've had people ask me why in the world would i want pet pigs. they are great animals, so easy to take care of, sweet natured and believe it or not, can be very affectionate.

left to right, harley (rescue), lilly (rescue) and arnold ziffel (raised from a tiny piglet and still tries to sit in my lap if i sit on the ground out there).

i did have a 4th piggy, porkahontas, that i lost early this summer to some sort of bacterial infection. tried everything to save her but to no avail. she was my first pig, dropped on me at 3 months of age, had never been handled. she was wild as a march hare but eventually tamed down with lots of love and lots of treats. :)

I couldn't agree more! LOL Very sweet. I think it's wonderful that you not only have the heart to rescue the more uncommon animals but that you have a proper environment for them too! It reminds me of a story of some neighbors we had about 16 years ago. It was during that phase where everyone wanted a pet pig and they had a rather large one. We both lived in an upstairs apartment and they had him use the balcony to do his "thing". It wasn't fair to the pig, he needed more than they could offer and to be honest, the whole situation really stunk for us as well. I've heard they can make great pets but I like the palace you've given your pigs much better!

i can't imagine keeping a pig in the house, let alone an apartment! i know house pigs are common but it takes a very special person to have them. pigs are so smart and if they get bored (which they do easily), they become extremely destructive. people who buy these animals on a "whim" don't realize just how big they can get (up to 200#!) and they don't realize what it takes to keep them healthy and happy and they don't realize these piggies have a very long lifespan. well cared for pigs can live into their early 20's! these are the pigs that are turned in to rescues and sanctuaries. it's sad to see how some of them arrive, terrible condition and sick because they haven't been cared for properly.

what really drives me crazy are these breeders touting their "tea cup" or "micro" pigs. the ONLY way you can keep a pot bellied pig under 25# is to STARVE it and that is what is happening. you would not believe some of the pigs that are surrendered...they are skin and bones because the people didn't want them to get too big. oy!!

Great job Nina, they look like they will stay warm and toasty!

The Palace looks great, Nina!! I was going to ask how long pigs live and see that you already said. I had no idea they could live that long. I guess that, like horses, when treated and cared for well they can live a long time. Sorry about Porkahontas. I didn't realize she had passed on. One question about the heat lamps. Is there any danger for fire with these? Thanks for the cute pictures of the piggies. Always good to see them.

That was my point Nina, just like with dogs (that Dalmation frenzy a few years ago comes to mind) people get them, don't know anything about the animal or breed and get in over their heads. No one suffers but the animal...like it's THEIR fault. I wish every one was as sensitive as the majority of people that post on this board. Bless you're heart for saving the piggies!

mm, with the heat lamps, i don't have to use much straw at all. most of the bedding is pine shavings and the lights are high enough that there is virtually no danger that they can come into contact with anything that could start a fire. when we hung the lamps, we used lots of baling wire to make sure there was no possible way they could come off the bar they are hung on.

in the past, i would have to use enough straw so it was a couple feet deep so the pigs could burrow down in it. with the heat lamps, that is no longer necessary, thankfully. never liked using straw, it's messy and very hard to dispose of!

We have a stray cat living in my yard. Your setup in my shed might help him get through this coming winter. I live in Northern Illinois and winters are brutal here, at its worst 40 below wind chill is common. Can I ask how cold it gets where you live? If you are in a similar climate, do you think the heat lamp is enough to warm the area? Thanks!!

hi briejeann. absolutely, i think it would work for your kitty. if you can build some sort of enclosure with a ceiling high enough to keep the heat lamp well away from the cat's body to avoid him getting burned, i don't see why you couldn't do this. i live down around springfield so i know what you mean about brutal winters!! we've had some winters that reminded me of growing up in minnesota!!!

Thanks, Ninapearl!! I will talk with my husband about setting something like this up in our shed.

the heat lamps come in different wattages. i got the most powerful, 250W and i got the red bulbs so it wouldn't be lit up like daylight all night. LOL

Also have a stray cat that I've become guardian of going on three years now. He's indoor/outdoor and at night he sleeps in the cellar, due to potty issues however uses litter boxes in cellar faithfully. There are very comfortable accommodations for him but basically no heat down there except for what may come off the furnace. My question is, how much electricity do you think the heat lamps use?

i honestly can't answer that. at this point, i am only running the lamps at night. i turn them on when i do evening chores and then off in the morning. i don't think i will have to use them much during the daytime hours even in the dead of winter. as long as the sun is out, the pigs lay in the straw at the entrance to the barn. my husband built the barn so that the sun would shine into it all day.

for one cat, i would think you could use a low wattage heat bulb in a small shelter and it would provide enough heat.

All creatures great and small. Bless you

, Ninapearl, for your kind, caring heart.