{"id":5231,"date":"2021-10-26T17:25:09","date_gmt":"2021-10-26T17:25:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ethosandempathy.org\/?p=5231"},"modified":"2021-10-26T17:34:28","modified_gmt":"2021-10-26T17:34:28","slug":"living-with-a-pig-and-a-dog-in-downtown-athens-meet-arianna-hamlet-gina","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ethosandempathy.org\/en\/2021\/10\/26\/living-with-a-pig-and-a-dog-in-downtown-athens-meet-arianna-hamlet-gina\/","title":{"rendered":"Living with a pig and a dog in downtown Athens – Meet Arianna, Hamlet & Gina!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Since when do you live with Hamlet? You rescued him right? You didn’t buy him… Please share with us your story! Were you already a vegetarian when he came into your life or did you change while living with him as Esther<\/a>‘s dads did?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I adopted Hamlet in 2019, after being notified by an acquaintance that he was in a dangerous environment: he lived in a tiny cage (like those designed for rabbits), had wounds on his head and a broken tail. I don\u2019t think he had ever even touched the ground before. I wasn\u2019t planning on getting a pig, to be honest, and the decision was very spontaneous, but I haven\u2019t regretted it even for a second. When I went to see what was going on in the place he was at, I immediately decided that I cannot just get up and leave without taking him. The truth is, I had some backup solutions for him (that is, a farm in Kythera, belonging to a vegetarian family), but after keeping him for the first month and seeing how attached he became to me, I just simply could not give him up. It was so touching to see him regain his trust towards humans, become so close with my dog, Gina (he viewed her as a maternal figure!) and basically become my tail…<\/p>\n

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When he started letting me pet his head, listen to his name and follow me around the house, I knew it was just meant to be to have a pig son! And indeed, he has changed my life forever, and for the best.<\/p>\n

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\nI grew up with many animals, in the southern suburbs of Athens, and always felt very close to them. However, I did eat meat and fish- not to a great extent – and it was always limited to chicken and beef. I somehow dissociated the meat I was consuming, with the animals I supposedly loved. Throughout the years, even before adopting Hamlet, I started cutting down on my meat and fish intake, and eventually I quit their consumption whatsoever, after becoming more educated on various animal matters and understanding that you can\u2019t love animals, if you choose to eat, even some of them. Of course, Hamlet has played a huge role in this process and especially in my understanding of concepts such as speciesism<\/a>. By interacting with him on a daily basis, I witness, firsthand, how smart and emotionally intelligent pigs are. This, of course, applies to all animals but I am fortunate enough to be living with the 4th most intelligent one!<\/p>\n

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Could you please let us know some things about “mini” pigs? It’s time for people to understand that this doesn’t exist and you are the most appropriate person to inform us!<\/strong><\/p>\n

People often see cute, young pigs advertised as minipigs, online, and fall into that \u201ctrap\u201d. There is no such thing as a mini pig, as people think of it. he pigs are usually just very young at age or are not fed properly, to halt their growth.In other words, no healthy pig remains 5 kg its entire life. People buy pigs thinking they will remain pocket size and the pigs end up growing and people do not want them anymore, and give them up…And this is the root of the problem regarding stray pigs, especially in the US.<\/p>\n

However, there are some sort of \u201cmini pigs\u201d. Basically, it is a term used to encompass any smaller breed of pig, and is often substituted with other terms like \u201cmicro-pigs,\u201d \u201cpocket pigs,\u201d and \u201cteacup pigs.\u201d They are not a distinct breed, but rather can be a variety of breeds (like kunekune, potbellied or juliana) and mixes of breeds (mixes between the aforementioned) that have been selectively bred to be smaller in size. This means that they can still grow to be 100 kg, which is still less than a normal pig. Usually, the size of the pig depends on its genetic makeup (its parents). Hamlet, for his breed, is truly on the smaller side, weighing approximately 20 kg.<\/p>\n

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What does Hamlet eat? Where d\u03bf you get appropriate food for him? Is he sterilized\/does he need vaccines?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hamlet eats a combination of fruits and vegetables, and pig pellet. I buy the produce from local markets or grocery stores and his pig pellets, online. Unfortunately, pig feed in Greece is destined for regular sized pigs and is usually enhanced, as these pigs are bred for slaughter. On a typical day, he eats a salad of predominantly vegetables (because fruit has sugar) morning and night, and in between I use pig pellet in toys and puzzles. I also use fruit or mini pig treats (which I bring from the US), as a reward for good behavior \/ tricks \/ training.<\/p>\n