[Gpdd] BEHAVIOR: Uh-Oh, love is in the air!!

jaaladog jaaladog at bellsouth.net
Wed Oct 3 21:57:31 EDT 2007


      Hi gang,

Well as you all know, I have been having some concerns/issues with mites and 
have been actively trying to eradicate the little buggers here.  Tomorrow 
will be the second treatment and we are hoping to get a handle on the 
situation.

Unfortunately, Tabitha has really managed to give herself quite a sore on 
her side so tomorrow, we are off to the exotic animals vet with both of them 
so as to make sure both are OK and have no other health issues...

Which brings me to the reason I just *had* to write to you all and share the 
news with you...

What with all the problems with the mites, the scratching and just general 
grouchiness on both pig's part, I sort of blamed the mites for everything... 
grouchiness... restlesssness.... growling.... rumblestrutting... HUH??? 
Rumblestrutting?  (Note the doubletake)  Yep, that's right....  Today, while 
having floor time, Earl & I heard the sound I have heard the last two days 
which I, in all my brillliance, attributed to Samantha just being grumpy 
because Tabitha would *not* leave her alone and I thought she was just 
uncomfortable...  not wanting Tabitha to touch her... WRONG!!  Earl proceeds 
to inform me, in a somewhat shocked voice that Tabitha was, shall we say, 
having her way with Samantha.  And the sound was definitely not  a growl... 
Holy Hannah!   That's rumblestrutting!  I may be slow, but I ain't stupid! 
So, I jumped up in shock and did what any responsible, intelligent pig owner 
would do... I yelled really loudly, clapped my hands and insisted that they 
"Stop that!"  They did... briefly... At first, being the delusional thinker 
that I am, I told Earl that it might just be dominance.. you know, one is in 
season and they are trying to establish a dominance thing... Uhm, wrong 
again.  We decided, after the 3rd time that Tabitha "got friendly" with 
Samantha and would not leave her alone, chasing her all over the cage... 
that we should separate them.  We placed their cage inside the play area, 
which is enclosed, with Tabitha on the inside and Samantha on the outside. 
While this seemed like a good idea to us, it was quite apparent that neither 
pig was exactly thrilled with us... Earl said that Sam went to eat out of 
the food bowl and then stopped and stared right at him as if to say... 
"Thanks a lot, buddy!"  So, they are running around and around and calling 
to each other... and I can only imagine what they are saying about us....

So, we went to the internet and looked up how to sex your pig... and lo and 
behold.. . there it was. . . bigger than life. . . if you will pardon the 
pun. . . The male in all it's glory and how to find what it is you are 
looking for.  So off Earl went out to check it out and came back with the 
news... Tabitha is not Tabitha, he is more on the line of a Tab... or 
something.  Apparently, it was quite obvious that he was a boy.  Groan! 
Like I told Ladybug's mom, Joan, I have a sneaky suspicion that the little 
bugger had a very blissful look on his face as he was "examined"  and his 
secret "uncovered"!

Now, having said all that, I have two issues... I am treating them for mites 
with Ivermectin and am now worried about if Sam is pregnant.  I think we 
caught them today, which I am hoping is the first day of the actual . . . 
uhm, . . . deed, but I don't know how many times it takes... know what I 
mean?

And, my second issue which I need some input on... Do I change Tabitha to 
Tabby, Tab or Darrin or just leave the  name as it is and hope he doesn't 
have gender identification issues as he gets older and end up on the Jerry 
Springer show one day?  LOL

Take care all and thanks for letting me tell you all about it!


Oh, by the way, Earl is blaming me for this whole thing because I went out 
yesterday and bought this adorable wooden round hut with a thatch roof which 
they both love.  Earl insists I provided them with a "love hut" and now 
considers it a house of ill repute.    Sigh...

Hugs, wheeks, winks and wolf whistles,

The possibly future Grandpig, Lynn 





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