“BORROW MY PIGGY” EXPERIENCE OVERVIEW
“Borrow My Piggy” is a completely unique experience from The Pigfather ltd offering an amazing cost effective opportunity to keep our two miniature pigs in your home, school or a care facility for 24 -30 hours!
Have you ever wanted to cuddle a piglet in your own house but do not actually wish to give them a permanent home? Or, perhaps, you have always dreamed of owning one but have been put off by the myths that surround keeping pigs or the lack of knowledge on how to look after these animals? Then, “Borrow My Piggy” could be exactly what you need!
You might also be a school or a care home wanting to have two Therapy Trained pigs come and visit you! The children will have a wonderful experience learning first hand about Miniature Pigs as pets and the Care Home residents will be able to experience an unusual pet therapy that our trained piggies can provide.
Furthermore, as the handlers do not need to stay with the piggies, there will be very little, if at all, contact between us and the residents, further minimising the risk of Covid-19 and complying with the current Government’s rules on gatherings of no more than 6.
What’s more, you would be borrowing the piggies who have been hired by Rod Stewart and Penny Lancaster at their home in Durrington House in July 2020! One of our Borrow My Piggy boys Popcorn also filmed for 2019 Hendricks Gin Promotional Video!
Alternatively, if you are only looking at hiring our Miniature Pigs for an hour, two or more to come to your event or your home for a party or a quiet family get together, we can help you with this also. Please, visit our Miniature Pig Parties page for details.
We have also produced a Guide to Buying Miniature Pigs as Pets if, after your experience, you wish to purchase your own piggies and want to find out more information.
Please, note, you must be 21 years old or over to book this experience. If you are under 21 you are required to have a written consent from your legal guardian or parent (this could be in a form of an email to us) and they must get in touch with us to book.
THE AIMS OF BORROW MY PIGGY EXPERIENCE
Over the past few years many of our customers have told us that they were keen on keeping miniature pigs as pets but did not know where to start and what this would involve. Purchasing any pet is a big responsibility and this is especially true when it comes to owning a pet piggy. Miniature pigs, sometimes often referred to as Micro pigs, are considered Farm Animals by law and are, therefore, protected by European and British Legislation. These must be understood and followed in order to keep them as pets.
The main aim of this Experience is to inform potential piglet buyers of their responsibilities and the pros and cons of owning a pet pig along with enabling our customers to have the most amazing miniature pig bonding time! Contrary to popular beliefs, miniature pigs are not like dogs and cats, in fact, they are very different in their behaviour and needs. We believe that “Borrow My Piggy” will provide an invaluable personal experience and insight into pig ownership and hopefully, improve the quality of piglets’ lives in the long term by reducing impulsive piglet purchases.
Schools and care homes can also benefit by encouraging empathy and caring attitude towards the piggies without the need to purchase their own animals. The children will learn a lot by being hands on and taking care of the pigs during their stay at your school or nursery.
If after your experience you wish to purchase piglets of your own, you are welcome to purchase from us, subject to availability. Borrow My Piggy customers get a first priority on our Piglet Waiting List because we would have seen the property and we would have spoken to you, the potential owners, ensuring that our piglets get the best possible future homes.
BENEFITS OF “BORROW MY PIGGY” EXPERIENCE
There are many benefits of “Borrow My Piggy” Experience. As Miniature piglets are very cute and intelligent they are becoming more popular as a choice of pet. Like any other pet, they require love and commitment to prevent them from becoming unwanted and ending up in a shelter. Having looked after your “borrowed” piggies, you would be in the best position to decide if a miniature pig ownership is really for you. There is no better experience that compares with looking after a pet of your dreams in your own house before you decide to give it a permanent home.
The benefits of “Borrow My Piggy” also extend to financial savings. Firstly, if your decision is not to own miniature piglets in the future, you would have saved at least a £1,000 by using this experience on the initial set up costs. This will be discussed in a bit more detail below. Secondly, “Borrow My Piggy” would essentially enable you to hire our miniature piglets for several hours, making you large savings compared to when they are hired on an hourly basis. To increase the benefits and value for your money, you could coincide the piglets’ arrival with an important event such as a Private Party, Christening or even just a family get together, so that everyone could enjoy spending time with the piglets.
To add to the above benefits, “Borrow My Piggy” Experience will offer our customers a unique opportunity of interacting with miniature pigs who will all be undergoing an AMPA Certified Therapy Pig Training Course, making them likely the most socialised and trained pigs in the UK. We are the first UK Company to train our pigs to this standard.
Additionally, Borrow My Piggy customers get a first priority on our piglet waiting list.
WHAT DOES “BORROW MY PIGGY” OFFER?
What does this experience offer? “Borrow My Piggy” provides a uniquely valuable experience of looking after our two miniature pigs for 24 – 30 hours in your own home. We will provide everything the pigs would require for their stay with you including a pen and a small house, the food, hay and straw for bedding, water bowl and other items for the duration of their stay. A Miniature Pig Care Guide will also be provided explaining how to look after your pet piggy and make them happy whilst they are living with you. On arrival at your home or school we will also give you an educational talk outlining all aspects of pig ownership and care that were mentioned in the Miniature Pig Care Guide – a short Miniature Pig Keeping Course – that will give you confidence in looking after your “borrowed” pigs.
During these days you will be able to spend an unlimited amount of time with your newly “borrowed pet”, learning first-hand what it takes to have a miniature pig as a pet. In addition, we will be available for advice during this time, by phone or email, should you need to ask us about any aspect of their care or if you are unsure of anything.
The Miniature Piggies we offer for “Borrow My Piggy” Experience will generally be under 2.5 years of age and can be of any colour; they would be health checked and would arrive clean and healthy, having been washed prior to arrival. The pigs will be carefully chosen for their temperament to ensure that, prior to their visit to you, they have been well socialised, handled and accustomed to being inside a home and around children.
Growing up with our own children adds a big advantage to all our piglets’ socialisation skills as they get to spend a lot of time with the children indoors, are handled and trained daily and start to learn good manners. All our piglets beginning from a young age undergo a thorough Therapy Pet Training programme lasting for many months which enables them to become well-adjusted and good mannered piggies in the future.
REDUCING IMPULSIVE MINIATURE PIG PURCHASES
Nothing beats a personal experience of looking after an animal when making a decision whether to keep that type of animal as a pet or not. “Borrow My Piggy” provides an unrivalled experience to enable our customers to make an informed and responsible decision about pig ownership before they decide to fully commit themselves to providing a forever home to a miniature pig. We hope that this will also prevent impulsive purchases on important calendar days such as Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Easter, Father’s Day or Birthdays.
If you decided that pig ownership is not right for you and you would not be able to care for the animals long term, given your newly acquired experience, then you could save those animals from becoming unwanted or neglected ending up in a pig shelter in the future. It is also important to remember that, although young miniature piglets look adorable and cuddly, they all grow up and will not stay “tea cup” size as some people still believe.
Not so long ago, media played a big role in this, with cute pictures of “micro”/”tea cup” pigs being held by celebrities flooding the front pages of magazines and newspapers. Some of these “micro” pigs were in fact piglets of large traditional farm breeds or their crosses and grew to huge sizes. Having said that, there were a few genuine breeders of miniature pigs in the UK who over several generations did manage to breed smaller sized pigs, much smaller in height and lighter in weight than the farm breeds. These pigs were called Miniature Pigs and most grow to knee size in height (of an average man), although, due to their anatomical structure, they tend to be heavier than a dog of similar size. More information on the sizes of Miniature Pigs can be found on our Buying a Miniature Pig page.
ADDITIONAL BENEFITS OF “BORROW MY PIGGY”
By using “Borrow My Piggy” experience you would save money on the initial purchase and set up costs, if, following your experience, you decide that you do not wish to keep a miniature pig as a pet. This can save you a lot of money on the set up costs of buying two or more miniature pigs, their feed, straw, hay, bowls, clothes, toys, harnesses and the costs of building a secure outdoor pen, which could all amount to at least a couple of thousands of pounds, which you would be spending upfront before the arrival of your miniature pigs. Being aware of financial responsibilities of caring for piglets will guide you in making the right decision for your family.
However, if you enjoyed looking after the piggies and wish to purchase your own one day, you may decide to purchase them from us. More information on the available piglet litters can be found on our Piglets for Sale page. Borrow My Piggy customers will get a first priority on our piglet waiting list.
In addition, the service gives you an amazing opportunity to “show off” the piggies to all your friends and family by inviting them over for when the piggies come and visit you! It is also a very cost effective option if you have always wanted to rent a piggy for your Birthday Party, Engagement, a Hen Do or any other private event. With “Borrow My Piggy” you would be able to have the pigs in your home for many hours and make great savings compared to hiring them at an hourly rate.
Furthermore, having used this service, you would have gained valuable practical experience of looking after miniature pigs in your own property, something that is hard to find before purchasing. Included will be your FREE Miniature Pig Care Guide as well as a short Miniature Pig Keeping Course offered as part of the package on our arrival to drop off the pigs at your property.
In summary, by purchasing “Borrow My Piggy” experience you will get to borrow two miniature pigs from 24 – 30 hours, all equipment set up for you at your premises, a Miniature Pig Care Guide and a FREE short Miniature Pig Keeping Course.
WHAT ARE YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES?
When you book “Borrow My Piggy” experience you agree to comply with all our Terms and Conditions, which will be emailed to you before you pay your deposit. This is in addition to the General Terms and Conditions to ensure safety to you and our animals and to help you have a very special and safe time with our piglets. These Terms and Conditions also include Risk Assessment to help you identify potential risks in relation to your home and how these could be minimized.
The Terms and Conditions have been developed in consultation and compliance with all the relevant Farm Animal Welfare regulations as well as Health and Safety Guidelines and need to be followed closely. Children and adults with special needs must be supervised by a responsible adult at all times to ensure that they follow our guidelines on handling, feeding and treating the piglets. All your guests/friends and family members who would come into contact with the piglets during their stay with you must be instructed on these Terms and Conditions.
If these are not followed, the animals can get stressed and behave abnormally. Any animal, no matter how well trained, socialised or friendly it is under normal circumstances, can become stressed in certain situations if their needs are not properly met or if an animal is mistreated or forced to do something they do not want to do. In such situations animals can resort to biting in defence because they may feel frightened. To prevent such behaviour from occurring, our Terms and Conditions and all our prior written and verbal advice must be followed closely.
An equipment check list will also be emailed to you along with the Miniature Pig Care Guide. Please, look after this equipment and ensure it is returned to us undamaged.
Upon receipt of the full payment, a detailed Miniature Pig Care Guide will be emailed to you. Please, read this carefully to ensure you have a good understanding of the points.
By paying the deposit for Borrow My Piggy, you confirm that you have read, understood and will comply with all the points of these Terms.
BOOKING “BORROW MY PIGGY” EXPERIENCE
Please, email us for prices, availability and to check whether we travel to your area. Following an increased interest in hiring our piggies from further afield, we have extended the areas which we cover.
Once you are happy to go ahead, using the Contact us form, please, provide us with your full name, address, including the post code, and your preferred booking date and time.
Be advised that the pigs’ drop off will usually take place between 10 am and 11am, outside of rush hour times to reduce the travel time as much as possible. Weekends and school holidays are the best times for the pigs’ drop off so that you can maximise the time spent with them. If you require other drop off times, please, advise us, but there will be an out of hours’ fee added to the total price after 5 pm.
The pick-up time will happen either 24 or 30 hours later and needs to be agreed at the time of booking. Drop off and pick up times will be agreed well in advance. If you wish to change the drop off time, we need to be informed no later than 1 week before the planned time.
Please, remember the Experience can be both positive and not so positive. You will be getting real pigs and the real experience in your own home which will help you to see how these animals behave in a home environment and what it is like having pigs as pets. For some people this is the most amazing experience, for others – an eye opener into real responsibilities pig ownership brings. This will give you an invaluable insight into understanding whether you are ready to commit to a lifelong relationship with these extremely intelligent and wonderful animals!
PAYMENT
To discuss our prices and areas of service, please, contact us. We cover an extended area from London to surrounding counties. There may be a distance fee, we will advise you if this is applicable to your booking once we know your post code. If there are Congestion/ULEZ/Toll or parking charges, we will add them to the total booking price.
A non-refundable deposit of 25% of the total cost of “Borrow My Piggy” Experience is required upfront to secure your preferred date if you wish the pigs to arrive at longer than a month’s notice. The balance of the Invoice will need to be settled a month prior to the booking date. Please, bear in mind that we cannot offer you the date before receiving your deposit, and could allocate this to another customer who pays the deposit.
Sometimes we may have two people interested in the same date at the same time. We will inform both parties as soon as possible when such situations arise and will reserve the booking date for the first customer who pays. We will always inform you of our decision
If you wish to book the service within a month of your preferred pigs’ arrival date, the full amount must then be settled as soon as possible before we can book the date for you.
Our preferred method of payment is via BACS transfer; we will send our bank details over upon receipt of your confirmation email to go ahead with the service. You will also receive an Invoice for your records.
CURRENT MINIATURE PIGLETS AVAILABLE FOR BORROW MY PIGGY EXPERIENCE
We are a Licensed Miniature Pig Breeder and we often have baby Piglets available as part of our Therapy Miniature Pig Training Course.
To see photos of the piglets we currently have available for hire, please, visit our Currently Available Miniature Piglets page!
CURCUMSTANCES WHEN “BORROW MY PIGGY EXPERIENCE MAY NOT BE PROVIDED
Although it is our warmest wish to provide this unique service to benefit as many people as possible, there are some circumstances where we will not be able to do so. Below are some examples:
- If you are a registered holding with a CPH number and you have other farm animals on your land (this includes llamas, alpacas, sheep, goats, cattle or other pigs; or keep horses, donkeys or ponies;
- You live in a flat or house without access to your own private garden;
- If you are immune compromised (i.e. receiving medication to suppress your immune system or following chemotherapy or other drug therapy making your immune system weaker). We advise that you contact the health professional in charge of your care for advice before booking “Borrow My Piggy” Service.
- Covid-19. If you or your family members are self isolating with suspected symptoms of Covid-19.
WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS SAY
We had Biscuit & Popcorn to stay for a couple of nights – what an amazing experience!! Natasha & her children delivered them expertly and told us all we needed to know to keep them safe and happy, even provided all food and bedding! Due to the heat both piggies decided that it would be cooling to bathe in my paddling pool!! I cant recomment this experience more highly xx
Hi Natasha.
Sorry we didn’t get to say bye, and it was a pleasure to have the boys (Borrow My Piggy Experience) and lovely to meet your family. Wishing you and all the very best. Kind regards, Oliver
Borrow my piggy service was a wonderful experience, the best 21st birthday present I could have asked for! Spending this time with biscuit and popcorn only made me love pigs even more and will 100% be looking to having some of my own little piggies. Absolutely worth doing and a brilliant insight to what it takes to take care of little piggies! Thank you!
What a wonderful weekend we had with Biscuit and Popcorn. It’s fair to say our family won’t forget such a fabulous experience, and we’re still talking about it! Natasha was totally brilliant during tricky times and we felt totally reassured about looking after our piggies. Wouldn’t hesitate to recommend!
The ‘Borrow my Piggy’ experience was a dream day for the children (and myself!). We were able enjoy the piggies in our own home, watching them foraging in the garden and then coming inside for some cuddles. Biscuit and Popcorn are extremely friendly and fascinating to watch. We will really miss them!! Thank you Natasha for a memorable experience.
There’s snout business like show pigness! Biscuit & Popcorn stayed for a visit and we loved every moment. Such a professional service, everything you need to look after the piggies was provided and taken away, also with a special little place in heart for the experience – it was great – thank you all of you! x
Hiring Biscuit & Popcorn for 36 hours was a wonderful experience. Natasha was helpful from our first initial enquiry, throughout the whole experience as were her two daughters when the pigs were dropped off and collected. You can tell the pigs are well cared for and loved. I would highly recommend this service.
The borrow my piggy experience was absaloutely amazing. Natasha was so helpful and the pigs were so lovely, everything was so easy to do, and it was such a great thing to do for anyone who loves pigs! I would really recommend this experience – popcorn and biscuit were so sweet and easy to care for, and I loved taking care of them!
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Contact us if you would like to book our two piggies for an unforgettable experience!