[Gpdd] INTRODUCTION

[KATHERINE L MOORE]

Howdy from the Dallas,TX area.  
   
  I have subscribed to the GPDD for several months, but have never posted.  I appreciate all your posts.  You have all given me a lot of insightful information, and have inspired and moved me at times.  
   
  My daughter and I fell in love with piggies while visiting my aunt in Gladewater, TX.  She had gotten my cousin's kids 2 little piggies - 1 American short hair boar (tortoise, I think) and 1 Coronet (I think) sow.  Both were only a few months old but were very sociable and enjoyed being held.  Since my daughter loved them so much, my aunt decided that Arial HAD to have one.  So for Arial's 7th birthday, my aunt drove all the way to Grand Prairie, TX to deliver our little Daisy, an American short hair.  Daisy was much larger than the piggies we had visited her house.. so my aunt warned she might be pregnant.  The second day we had her, we tried to give her "floor" time, and she ran under the couch and created quite a scare for us.  When I would talk to her, she would run around the cage so fast and jump around, I was worried that the cage would fall off the table!  I seriously thought something was wrong..  This was before I realized that she was happy.
   
  In late August, we took a trip back to East Texas and decided to take Daisy with us.  We just couldn't bear to think of her all alone!  We took her to visit the piggies at my aunt's house.  I pointed out to my aunt that she still had not given birth and I was beginning to get worried.  We gave the piggies floor time at the same time... and very quickly discovered (as DAISY attempted to mount the other little girl) that our Daisy was no Daisy at ALL!  It was a boy piggie!  I was sure that my daughter would be devastated, but she was not... and very quickly changed his name to Root-beer - AKA Rooty.  I had actually considered taking her to the vet because something didn't seem right!  I would have died if I had paid someone $50 to tell me I  had a boy!
   
  Anyway, Rooty very quickly became my best bud..  He is a very social piggie who loves to be held and loves his floor time.  I know exactly when I made the transition from master to slave!
   
  When I went back to my aunt's house, she told me that she was getting rid of the piggies she got for my cousin's kids.  The novelty had worn off, and the kids did not give them the attention that they needed.  Sometimes they were not getting fed.  She said that we could take the piggies and all the supplies.  So now we have Cloud (boar) and Citrus (sow) too.  
   
  Our little Rooty and Cloud do not like each other.   Cloud has antagonized Rooty to the point that Rooty bit him hard enough to draw blood.  Since Cloud and Citrus have been here, we have had a very difficult time getting them used to us.  They do not like to be handled or even touched!  They do like to be acknowledged, and squeek when they see us walk by their room (yes, they have their own room!).
   
  Does anyone have any suggestions on how we can earn their trust?
   
  Sorry this is long... but had to give you all some background.
   
  Kathy - slave to Rooty (and trying to be slave to Citrus & Cloud)