Copyright Newsweek
After her owner brought home a struggling piglet, a dog mom named Cleo immediately took him under her care–and the way she’s kept him safe and warm has melted the hearts of social media users. In a viral Instagram video shared in October under the username @cleo_kelpie_, the pup can be seen lying on her bed with the little piglet, holding her close and grooming her like it’s her own puppy. “One of our piglets was failing to thrive. We had to make a choice. So we decided to bring her home for the best chance. Cleo instantly adopted this baby. She cleaned her, [and] helped keep her warm. Once a mom, always a mom”, the caption says. According to Ross Mill Farm, "home of the pet pig," while pigs and dogs aren’t exactly a match made in heaven, with your help they can learn how to live together peacefully. If both animals aren’t trained properly for living together, difficulties can arise. That’s why before bringing a pig home, you should first try to understand how their mind works, and then teach them the rules of the household. The first crucial step that will impact their relationship long term is their introduction. It should take place in a controlled environment where both animals feel safe and comfortable, and you should always be able to control your dog in case of attack. The pig should have its own safe and enclosed space, away from the dog. Allow them to smell each other first, before an actual introduction. Never leave your dog and pig together unattended, even if they have become the best of friends. And if the pig has an outside pen, make sure the fencing is tall enough to prevent the dog from entering. The video quickly went viral on social media, and it has so far received over 514,000 views and 20,319 likes on the platform. One user, Britt_nicholson1, commented: “We have a mini pin who we recently adopted who has never been a mom, and a 19-year-old Chihuahua who needs a lot of support. “Our mini pin has adopted her and treats her like a puppy. Apparently, she always had false pregnancies while in heat and chose toys or other objects as her babies. Now she has a grandma baby.” Stephdalke said: “That’s her baby. Animals are amazing.” Dmh_deline8 added: “It probably helped it tastes like bacon. Just sayin.’ Good job Mommy!” Newsweek reached out to @cleo_kelpie_ for comment via Instagram. We could not verify the details of the case.
