Little Girl Preciously Snuggles With Pet Mini Pig

Here we are treated to a brief, but ever so tender moment. Is there anything more endearing than the bonding between two infants, even if one of them is a pig? You’re a lucky little piglet, Appleton, to be in the arms of such a gentle stewardess of the animal kingdom. You can tell the little gal genuinely loves her little guy: “Mommy, can we keep him?”

We hope the grunts we hear are grunts of approval. One thing is certain— Appleton is really good around kids. If pigs could talk!

Maybe this is their introduction, and both are a little nervous at first. As a society, we are still getting used to the idea that pigs can make good pets, but the internet ‘s reach is far, and we are being educated that pigs are not just for eating. Both child and piglet will grow up, but the miniature pig, a type to which Appleton looks to belong can grow to be a couple hundred pounds. This domestic living room couch scene captures such short-lived moments, but they can’t last forever, as soon Appleton will simply be too big for the little girl’s lap, and the sofa. Even the so-called “teacup” or micro pig doesn’t stay teacup sized forever. Prospective pig owners will want to project into the future and take into account the expanded needs of their beloved pig when it becomes full grown.

Being an extremely intelligent (considered the world’s fifth most intelligent animal, even more intelligent than dogs!) and social creature, the pig reciprocates affection. We don’t know if Appleton actually lives in the girl’s household, but if so, the relationship building will be life-long. Most pet owners would agree that you don’t really need science to tell you that your pet loves you. Even tiny tropical fish will respond to their caretakers, so how much more emotionally responsive would such an intelligent, high order animal as the pig be? The domesticated pig is even more impressive as a pet when you consider that it wasn’t an animal bred for companionship the way dogs and cats were, but rather entirely as a food source. So, the pig really has a high bar to surmount to be accepted as a friend and not food.

Appleton gets lots of reassurance that his future with this family is secure. The mother is letting her child cuddle and kiss him. That’s always a good thing. Can pigs recognize human emotions through their facial features, the way we are learning dogs can? Perhaps not, but it’s reasonable to conclude pigs, and for that matter, most creatures can get a sense of the emotional state of a person from its tone of voice, the soft way the child pets him, the slow and relaxed arm movements. Nothing here would cause alarm.

The woman recording the event, presumably the child’s mother, trusts little Appleton implicitly. In time, perhaps they will have their strained moments, but even so, such times will be negotiated in the context of lifelong caring for one another.