Lavender Pearl Piggy
@lavenderpearlpiggy
Danielle Osloond and her husband Edward from Deadwood and have a pretty popular piggy. Lavender has accumulated over 8,000 followers in less than two years!
How old is she?
A year and a half
How much does she weigh?
55 pounds
When is her birthday?
4.05.15
When did you get her?
Saturday, June 27, 2015
Why did you decide to get her?
My husband and I are both horribly allergic to animals. I’ve always been a huge animal lover, and was terribly sad that a cat or dog was out of the question for us. I begged for a pig for years. My husband didn’t grow up with pets, so it was super hard for him to understand why I was obsessing. I missed that companionship that pets provide. I have no clue what made him finally cave, but in February of 2015, he finally did!
Have you always wanted a pig?
I wouldn’t say always, but I would definitely say it’s been an obsession for a solid 10 years or so. Of course, with growing popularity, I started seeing lots of images/posts of pigs as pets, and it really fueled that fire.
How old was she when you got her?
She was 12 weeks old when we got her.
How did you find her breeder?
I did a ton of research once my husband gave me the go-ahead. Months of night after night, reading, searching, obsessing. I googled a lot of breeders, and searched a lot of them on Facebook. I actually talked myself out of it numerous times. I wasn’t finding what I wanted in a breeder, and wasn’t finding the “right pig.” I was so scared of the unknown, you know? With a cat or a dog, you sort of know what you’re getting. I was clueless in the world of pigs! But of course, I couldn’t stop reading, and searching. I think I found Montana Minis on Facebook, and then, of course, checked out their website. Lavi had just been born, and her picture squished my heart immediately. I knew that she was the girl for us!
Did you have to wait long for her?
I contacted Montana Minis right away that day. She responded that they had someone coming to look at her, but if that person didn’t take her, she would get ahold of me. The next day, there was a quote in my day planner from Ralph Waldo Emerson that said, “Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.” I drew a heart around it, and posted it to my Instagram. I also printed out her picture and hung it on my computer. You know, a piggy vision board, so to speak. That night, I got a message from Teri that she was available. My husband and I were having dinner at a restaurant. I squealed a bit, and ran outside to call Montana Mini’s and make a deposit immediately.
What are piggy’s favorite things to do?
Lavender loves to sleep and cuddle. A LOT. She has an electric blanket that she will not sleep without. Outside of that, she plays with her blankets, and she loves to shred paper and chew gum.
Where does she sleep?
She sleeps between my husband and I in our bed. We had both agreed that she wasn’t going to be allowed on the bed. Well, about a week into it, there she was – just jumped up on the bed and forced her way under the covers. My husband said, “Okay, but just for tonight.” That was over a year ago.
Does she have any silly habits? Sounds? Tricks?
She does circles, sits, “up,” “down” (on her belly, sort of like an army crawl). She also knows colors: red and blue. She is terrified of garbage sacks, and the vacuum. She also loves the sound of clipping fingernails and the sound of me flat ironing my hair. It makes her mohawk go up, and she flops on her side as if she were getting a belly rub. It’s really the strangest thing!
Favorite snacks?
She loves grapes, cheerios, and the little dehydrated yogurt puffs. Her mornings aren’t complete until she’s had her vitamins. Oh! and ice cubes! We’re convinced she thinks they are treats, too. She loves to chew gum that she finds on the sidewalk. So gross!
What do you feed her?
She eats Mazuri Active Adult twice a day, and then lots of veggies in between. She also gets 1/3 cup of pureed pumpkin daily.
What does she do during the day?
I work full time for Deadwood Mountain Grand, as their Creative Director. She comes to work with me every day. Our staff loves her! She wanders around my office, shredding paper, rooting in her toybox, and sleeping with her electric blanket.
What is the best part of having a pig?
She is just so much fun. She’s smart, and sassy, and funny, and cranky – and always makes us laugh. She has definitely made my husband realize how endearing pet companionship can be. She definitely prefers him over me, and they have a pretty adorable bond.
What is the biggest challenge?
We travel. A lot. It’s been hard to leave her, knowing that we’re basically dumping this moody little toddler into someone else’s hands. We have, however, been fortunate enough to find a couple different friends that have been willing to take her. She spends a lot of time at one of their homes, so it is very familiar to her, and they just adore her. She’s family to them.
What is one pig fact that others may be surprised to hear?
I think people are always surprised to hear that she’s house broken, and that she’s as cuddly as she is.
Any advice for those wanting a pig?
Do your research. Seriously. Educate yourself beyond reason. One has to understand that they’re making a commitment to this little creature that will remain a toddler for life. A pig as a pet is certainly not for someone who works long hours, and cannot give the attention they so desperately crave and deserve. And that a “teacup/nano/micro” DOES NOT exist! The average mini pig will weigh anywhere around 60-100+ pounds at full maturity.
Ever on TV, news, etc.?
She’s never been on the news, but has met many a musician and celebrity! She met Michelle Branch, and was posted on Michelle’s Instagram. She also sat through sound check at a Brad Paisley concert in Denver, and met country musician Mickey Guyton. She recently met John Paul DeJoria, who is the owner of Paul Mitchell Products, and Patron. She’s had love from the members of the band The Farm, and many more. I suppose those are the perks of working where we do!
How did you come up with her name?
A lot of people think that her name comes from the color. It also doesn’t help that I do have purple hair. We were struggling with something unique, and a name that wouldn’t be typical of a pet name. One day, a friend of mine said “okay, let’s think out of the box. What about naming her after an essential oil?” And I said, “Oh my gosh! LAVENDER! It’s PERFECT!” Turns out, not only is she named after the essential oil, we use it on her almost daily!