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Thursday, December 18, 2025
Outdoor Trifecta
When we first got Bean and Potato, Bean was by far the smallest. But he quickly outgrew Potato and even Fuzzy, leaving Potato as the smallest pig. This might have been because of his dainty eating style. He wasn't very protective of his food. But it also might have been because he was the most active pig, and therefore the least pudgy.
But even though he was small, it did not stop him from competing with Fuzzy for dominance from time to time. One reason for this confidence was his intelligence. We noticed he seemed to be the smartest of the three pigs. We bought him a board game, and he was easily able to solve all of the puzzles and find the hidden treats. He was also a good problem solver. If he was presented with a challenge like how to rearrange the pigloos when something was in the way, or how to escape a human when the doorway was blocked, he would pause and consider the situation, then come up with a plan and execute it.
Also in later years he felt responsible for "wrangling" the humans whenever we cleaned or adjusted the cage. He would inspect results after a cleaning, to make sure we replaced the pellets, hay, and water, and if anything was unsatisfactory he would let us know right away. If we seemed to be taking our time, he would helpfully point us to the location of the pellet bag or hay box.
Although he was a wriggly, skinny pig and adept at avoiding being picked up, once we did manage to catch him, he really liked lap time. He would sit comfortably and calmly with us, and would always give us a clear signal if he had to return to the cage to "use the facilities."
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