Question
Winston
My pig is 16 months old and he is potty trained. He will occasionally have
accidents if I forget to open the door to the backyard to let him out but he
rarely has accidents. He has been in the car on countless occasions and it
continues to be a problem for him. He continues to poop in the car and I am
getting very frustrated.
I have tried putting him in a travel cage with blankets. He will poop all over
the blankets and then cry because he is sitting in his poop. The cage only
works if I feed him while I drive. But I don't like to give him food as a behavior
modifier and it is not a good solution for drives that are more than five
minutes.
I have tried to let him loose in the car but he sits on my lap. This was fine
when he was younger but he is so strong and his hooves hurt my legs when
he moves. He will climb on my lap and try to look out the window or get up
on the steering wheel.
I recently put him on the passenger seat and he was sitting peacefully. I was
petting his head and making sure he didn't roll around on the turns. He then
decided to start pooping on the seat and then began to pee as well.
I was so frustrated because he had already gone to the bathroom before we
got in the car. What are some other possible solutions to putting him in the
car to take him places? He likes getting out of the house and visiting other
people and places but he is a nightmare in the car. He needs to be able to get
from point A to point B without pooping all over himself and my car. I am
terrified for the next trip to the vet because it is 45 minutes away and I can't
imagine sitting in the car with him crying in his poopy cage.
AnswerRiding in cars does make pigs need to potty. In fact, canned pumpkin and a car ride is a home remedy for constipated pigs.
Pigs need two things to travel in cars without going potty. They need a chance to go right before they get in the car and they need to get used to the sensation of riding.
Take piggy to his litter box our outside potty spot before putting him in the car. Tell him to go potty, both kinds. And tell him that he's going to ride in the car. Then, after he's had a good chance to potty, take him for a very short ride. No more than a minute or two, just around the block. Take him to his litter box or potty spot immediately after he gets out of the car.
The next day, do the same thing, except make the ride a little longer, maybe five minutes, max. Take him potty before getting in the car, tell him to do both, and tell him that he's going in the car. Use the same words for "ride in the car", "car ride", "go bye byes", doesn't matter as long as you pick one phrase and stick with it.
Keep doing the same thing, every day, making each ride just a little bit longer. Make sure to take him potty first, tell him to do both, and that he'll be riding in the car. After a week of this, when you take him to potty, tell him to do both and tell him "ride in the car", he should potty and really empty himself out, because he understands what will happen next (a car ride).
Now, keep doing the same pre-ride routine (potty, both kinds, "car ride"), but make the trips random lengths. Fifteen minutes one day, five the next. Add a stop along the way. If possible, let piggy potty at the stop. If not, keep the stop very close to the end of the trip.
The safest way for a pig, or any other animal, to travel in a car is inside an airline approved travel crate. Devices are available for dogs that fasten the car seat belt to the dogs harness. Some of these adapters may work for pigs as well.
Some pigs are fine riding in a back seat. But, if your pig is one that insists on pestering you while you drive, then it's best to restrain him either with a seat belt adapter or inside a crate.
I prefer crates. A pig on a harness can be frightened and struggle, for example, when going through a strange door or getting on an elevator. A pig in a crate is less likely to be frightened, and even if he is nervous inside the crate, it's still easy to move the pig and crate through that strange door. Finally, a crate protects the pig from other people's dogs. This is especially true in places like veterinary clinics, where people bring dogs that may not be used to being away from home or are not well trained.
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