TCAP Success Grade 5 ELA Post Test

1 Potbellied pigs are becoming popular pets. The number of people buying pet pigs is growing. Unfortunately, the number of pigs left in shelters is growing too. It is important to think about both the advantages and disadvantages of owning a pig before you take the plunge.

Pigs Will Be Pigs

2 Pigs are very smart animals. They are also easy to train. Pigs can use a litter box or a certain corner of a yard as a bathroom. They can learn many different tricks. They will also respond to many commands. However, because pigs are so smart, they can get bored easily. A pig kept in the house all day will look for ways to entertain itself. A pig’s idea of a good time might not match the owner’s ideas. For example, chewing up rugs is one way pigs stay busy inside. Knocking over houseplants and digging in the dirt are other ways that pigs have fun.

Top Pigs

3 Pigs are very social animals. This means they are friendly and playful, and many people believe that pigs are sweet and charming. However, these are also reasons why people give up their pigs. Many people can’t handle the amount of attention their pigs demand. Additionally, pigs are herd animals. When you adopt a pig into your family, the pig sees your family as members of its herd. When the pig is about eighteen months old, it tries to become the "top pig." It will fight for the number-one spot in the herd. The pig will charge at or snap at the people in the house, and this can be dangerous for humans.

Keeping Your Pig Healthy

4 Most pigs enjoy good health. With proper care, they can live ten to fifteen years. Owners should bring their pigs to a veterinarian for a checkup once a year. The veterinarian will give the pigs the vaccinations they need to stay healthy. The doctor will also trim the pig’s hooves every year. Even with good care, one of the biggest threats to a pig’s health is pneumonia. Weather plays a big part in this, but so does stress. Pigs are very sensitive animals that can easily have their feelings hurt or become "stressed out" by family activities. Pigs have small lungs, and stress makes it harder for the pigs to fight off germs that affect the lungs.

Is a Pet Pig Right for You?

5 Potbellied pigs make fun, funny, and loyal pets. They also require a great amount of care. Think carefully about the time and work involved before you make a pig your pet.

Did you know that pigs are more intelligent than cats and dogs? It’s true. In fact, pigs are the fourth most intelligent animal on Earth. Yet few people know very much about these wonderful creatures. Here are some interesting facts about pigs that you probably did not know.

1 Pigs have good memories and can recognize and remember up to thirty other pigs.

2 Pigs have a good sense of direction and are able to find their way over long distances.

3 Pigs are easily trained to walk on a leash, use a litter box, and do tricks.

4 Pigs are very social animals. They sleep together huddled in nests. And while they sleep, they love to cuddle up close to one another.

5 Pigs are genetically similar to humans, which is why doctors have been able to transplant pig heart valves into humans.

6 Pigs love water, and they are excellent swimmers.

7 The bond of a mother pig and her piglets (baby pigs) is as strong as that of any human mother and baby.

8 Pigs are very vocal animals and have a wide range of communicative calls made up of grunts, squeaks, snarls, and snorts.

9 Pigs are very affectionate, and they touch snouts as a friendly greeting. Pigs also make good companion animals for people.

10 Like people, pigs have emotions and characteristics. Some are playful while others are more serious. Some may be shy while others are bold. Some pigs are more happy and content while other pigs are highly sensitive and suffer with depression.

11 Pigs are sensitive animals that can experience both happiness and sadness.

12 "As happy as a pig in mud" is a saying often used to express how much fun someone is having. Actually, pigs do not like to be dirty. Pigs wallow in mud to stay cool on hot days and to protect themselves from getting a sunburn. In fact, pigs are so clean that they can be kept indoors and bathed like cats and dogs.

13 Piglets love to play, in ways very similar to those of human children, such as chasing one another, running in circles, squeaking and grunting in sheer delight, pretend fighting, and exploring their environment. Play is an important part a piglet’s development. Pigs also like "toys" such as an old blanket and cardboard boxes.

14 There are many stories of pigs that have saved the lives of humans. For example, a pet pig called Pru pulled her owner out of a muddy bog, and another pig, Priscilla, saved a young boy from drowning.

15 Like humans, pigs are omnivores, meaning they eat both plants and other animals.