[Gpdd] MISC: Well-behaved pigs...

[Bradley, Stephen G]

Amy's story about Pagan, and having him out on a blanket while cleaning his
cage, and having him creep off the blanket, but then jump back on when he saw
her looking at him, reminded me of our dear Mr. Niles (now at the Bridge).
 
Niles lived in a cardboard run, made of a large box split open and lined with
cloths, with the usual houses and things to run around.  And we thought after a
while that, given he was so small, and it was down low, on the floor, from his
point of view, he couldn't see anything around him too well, since the only side
where it was open was the top - so we gave him a window.
 
We didn't want him to hop out, so instead of one big window, I cut three narrow
slots side by side, so it was kind of like a window with multiple panes.. or
bars, I suppose, but we tried not to think about that.
 
Well, Niles was remodeler, and he didn't really like the windows the way they
were, so he started nibbling.. first he made one slot a little wider, then it
gradually merged with the next one... and the next.  After a few days, there was
one big raggedly hole, and we were getting pretty nervous, because it was pretty
clear that the hole was big enough for him to hop out through... only he didn't.
We kept a good eye on him, since the house wasn't pig-proof, but he never ever
tried to hop out through the hole, and we figured for one reason or another, he
wouldn't; too rough or something.
 
Except, we used to put him down on a quilt... next to his run... when we were
cleaning it... and one day he jumped in!!!  Turns out, the window was plenty big
to go through, and when he was on the outside and wanted in, he was plenty
capable of hopping through it.
 
But he never ever tried to come out, when he wasn't supposed to, which I decided
was just because he was a GOOD PIG.
 
Steve Bradley, with
Butterscotch (also a good pig)
and mommy-Ginger and auntie-Heather and
remembering Niles and Clover (good pigs both).