Happy Belated Gotcha Day, Scotch and Soda!!!

One year ago


Oh I'm such a bad piggy mom - I forgot to celebrate Scotch and Soda's "Gotcha day" - the day they arrived at my home and started their new life! Looking back through my emails with Janice from Hearts on Noses, they arrived either June 14th or June 15th, 2007. Two sad, scared, overweight, not-very-healthy pigs, who came out of the trailer and immediately started kneading the grass in happiness and relief.

That first night, I sat on the barn floor and sang to them as they buried themselves completely in the piles of fresh straw until they were barely visible. Over the next few weeks they came to trust me. Scotch, especially, enjoyed having me sing to him. He visibly relaxed as I crooned "You are my sunshine" - the same song that had been my daughter's lullaby when she was small.

Scotch reminded me of this tonight, as he told me in no uncertain terms that he wanted my attention. He has been grouchy all week, picking on the piglets as they eat. Tonight I shoved him on the shoulder when he tried to bite one of the youngsters yet again.....and he sulked. He slunk out of the feeding area and back into the sleeping stall, and stood in the corner and pouted. It was all I could do not to laugh.

So I went over and sat on the straw beside him and put my arm round him. He lay down with his head on my knee and as I watched, a single tear rolled down his cheek. I began singing his sunshine song - something I haven't done for several weeks. And immediately, he relaxed and closed his eyes and rolled over for a bellyrub, oofing and huffing in contentment all the while.

Normally, when I sit on the ground, the piggies are all over me, but tonight they stood back and waited patiently, some watching from the door, some quietly munching straw or going back outside in the cool night air. Eventually little Whisper came up and placed his sweet head on my other knee and closed his eyes too. And as I scratched him behind the ears, he also rolled over for a belly rub.

After a while, Scotch saw that he didn't have my complete attention so he heaved a big sigh and wiggled his snoutie in thanks and wandered off to nicely munch straw alongside the rest of his family.

Good boy, Scotch. I shall try to remember to share those quiet moments with you more often. And if you ever find a forever home, be it at the sanctuary or with an adopter, your caregivers will have to promise to sing you the sunshine song.

Happy Gotcha Day, Scotch and Soda. You've come a long way.

Where they were found


Their arrival - kneading the grass in delight


A happy Scotch today