Welcome to PipPo's House Hippos. Fun fact, our name is a compilation of two of my daughter's first names that happily rhymed with hippo. We've always thought skinny pigs look like little hippos, so for anyone who remembers the old ad about the house hippo and wanted one, this is the closest you'll get.
Skinny pigs are full of personality and they are all unique individuals.
They are very social beings and prefer to have a buddy or two. You'll enjoy watching them interact with each other too. Being hairless, they have a higher metabolism and eat a lot more food than regular guinea pigs. They are also little poop factories so be prepared!
Female skinny's are called sows, and males are boars. The babies however are called pups.
Females generally all get along though they go through a bit of posturing to determine pecking order. Males who are litter mates can often be kept together (know as a bonded pair) but many males prefer being in their own cage or a divided cage so their buddy is beside them. Otherwise, the males can fight and do some damage to each other; they have large incisors and can have sharp claws. Speaking of claws, you'll have to trim your piggies nails every month or two. Cat nail clippers from the petstore or regular human nail clippers work well.
Come back soon for some tips on care of skinny pigs.
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