Very cute video! - Hamlet the baby mini-pig conquers his fear of the stairs!

Check out his attempts to master stairs in the first video. He would have been just over seven months old, and the stairs were a major barrier to his bowl of oatmeal. Hamlet is a lucky little porker, to have become the pet of PiggyGirl2010, who regularly posts videos of his antics. A lot of pigs fall into the hands of people who should never own them. When they realize their clever pet has piggy habits, such as rooting in their potted plants or acting aggressively when it wants to assert dominance, they often dump the piglets at the nearest shelter.

Others are dropped off at farms. Boris, Violet and Jelly Belly came into my life for just that reason. They started life as tiny, adorable, pot bellied pigs. When they grew out of their cuteness, their owner dumped them. They became part of our farm family. Jelly Belly loved to go walk about and would drag her low-slung pot under fences so she could go exploring. Violet had a snore that could keep a household awake. Boris was an equal-opportunity boar. Although snipped, he was promiscuous and had no preference for species or gender. If it stood still, he went into action. The three pig pals had a quarter section (164 acres) for roaming and sheep to snuggle with when the temperature dropped. They thrived and kept us laughing. On the whole, although I found pigs the most intelligent and fascinating of all our farm animals.

(If you think this pig is gorgeous, consider the other pigs that have not been lucky enough to end up in a loving home. Consider your diet and lifestyle, and what impact that has on piggie welfare.)

Hamlet is now two years old. Another cute clip showing Hamlet enjoying "tummy rub time"!

Story care of Cathy Wellner