Yes, pigs decorate their homes and try to keep them clean. They scavenge for things to adorn their houses with and avoid messing it up.
This may sound strange, but pigs actually do tend to pick flowers to place near where they sleep! On top of that they avoid, erm, ‘going to the toilet’ in their sleeping areas, instead choosing to do so outside.
Why do pigs decorate?
First of, i give full credit for this information to @fullcirclefarmsanctuary on tik tok. Their adorable pig Lotus can be seen picking flowers and much more on their page, go check it out when you’ve finished reading this blog!
Now, let’s get back on track. Pigs such as lotus sometimes like to collect plants like flowers or fronds to place near their favourite napping, sleeping or sunbathing spots. They collect said plants from around the surrounding area, moving them to different spots that they presumably find more aesthetically pleasing. Someone tell Queer Eye they’ve found their 6th member !
Pigs also prefer not to, for lack of a better word, wee or poo near where they sleep. They tend to do so somewhere far away in order to keep their sleeping areas nice and tidy. Of course, they do love good mud bath and you may argue that that’s VERY dirty. Wells, pigs don’t sweat and in order to cool themselves down they slather themselves in mud. Where do you think Arnold Schwarzenegger got the idea from?!
These are remarkably cute behaviours and they go to show that humans aren’t the only species that value a clean, tidy and presentable home. Pigs decorate their homes just like us, isn’t it great?!
Do any other animals decorate?
This is a very natural question that you may now be asking. Are there any other animals with a passion for interior design?
The aptly named decorator crab definitely deserves a mention. While they don’t partake in the same interior design as our snouted friends, they do something similar. They use items like seaweed, sea sponges and coral to adorn their lovely shells. These items stay in place thanks to the velcro-like hairs that cover said shells.
This decoration allows the crabs to blend in with their surroundings in order to hide from predators. Not quite the same as decoration for beauty’s sake, but decoration none the less.
Bowerbirds are well known for their unique courting behaviour. Males of the species build large magnificent structures made out of sticks to attract a mate. These structures are decorated with brightly coloured objects in order to create a striking effect. Marie Jahoda would be proud.
This shows yet another reason for animals to decorate; to impress other members of their species. If you really think about it, they’re much like humans in that regard aren’t they.
Animals decorating their homes is a novel, yet fascinating concept. From crabs to birds to the titular pig, lots of different animals get involved with some decor here and there. Many more than I’ve listed here, i employ you to go out and do some of your own research !
Extra information
Animal-Club provides animal parties or animal handling workshops. You will be able to see, learn and interact with many wonderful animals with the help of our presenters. Our mobile zoo has many friendly animals such as rabbits, tarantulas, geckos, vinegaroons and more, perfect for an animal party. We can also come over to your school for an animal school visit or arrange for an animal workshop with us where the children can learn about looking after animals and animal behaviour, and have fun too.