Pig rescued from a first-floor flat becomes best friends with a cockerel
A huge pig rescued from a first-floor flat by firefighters because she grew so fat is enjoying a new lease of life - after becoming best friends with a cockerel. Twiglet the porker had to be carried out on a stretcher after spending months gorging on takeaways, porridge and chocolate and ballooning to a whopping 30 stone. After four months at a rehabilitation centre the hog now boasts a slimmed down 25 stone figure and is "happier than ever" - after getting a feathery new friend. Thumper the cockerel arrived at the centre in November just weeks after Twiglet and the playful pair immediately struck up the most unlikely of friendships.The double act spend most days cuddled up in the barn they share together and Thumper can regularly be seen perched on his pal's broad back. Both animals reside at Peppers Field Equine & Poultry Rehabilitation Centre in Worksop, South Yorks., where sick, neglected and unwanted pets are looked after. Trustee Chloe Watson, 33, said: "We're all really surprised and so happy about the relationship Twiglet and Thumper have struck up. "They make for quite an unlikely pair but seem to make each other happy - so we're happy too. "I think Thumper likes Twiglet because she's so warm and Twiglet seems very happy to have the cockerel perched on her back. "It's so sweet that they have each other."In 2017 newborn Twiglet was bought as a £60 Christmas present for a woman called Elaine Edwards by her grandchildren, who saw an advert for a "micro-pig" on Facebook. Twiglet slept on a mattress in her owner's bedroom, was house-trained to use a cat litter tray and regularly snacked on human food like takeaways as she ballooned in size.When Elaine sadly died in August last year from an unknown condition Twiglet was too large and panicky to be safely manoeuvred out of the flat in Dinnington, South Yorks.The 5ft-long porker was sedated before being strapped to a stretcher and lowered down a set of stairs by six firemen then transported to Peppers Rehabilitation Centre. Chloe said: "Twiglet is a completely different pig to the one that arrived here last year. "Due to her diet and living conditions she was in really poor health and needed a lot of help and support to improve. "We've managed to get her on to a healthy diet and she's happier than ever."Initially she seemed very depressed about the death of her owner but as time has gone on she has really come out of her shell."She definitely lived a life of luxury in the flat, but it wasn't really the right environment for her."Chloe added that when she arrived Twiglet would spit out fruit and vegetables because she was used to eating foods high in salt and sugar. She said: "Twiglet is definitely quite the character - she will let you know if she's not happy with you. "She has little temper tantrums and goes off in a strop. "Luckily most of the time she is great to be around is generally very loving and happy."Anyone who would like to meet Twiglet and Thumper can attend a Peppers Rehabilitation Centre open day next month on April 12.
A huge pig rescued from a first-floor flat by firefighters because she grew so fat is enjoying a new lease of life - after becoming best friends with a cockerel.
Twiglet the porker had to be carried out on a stretcher after spending months gorging on takeaways, porridge and chocolate and ballooning to a whopping 30 stone.
After four months at a rehabilitation centre the hog now boasts a slimmed down 25 stone figure and is "happier than ever" - after getting a feathery new friend.
Thumper the cockerel arrived at the centre in November just weeks after Twiglet and the playful pair immediately struck up the most unlikely of friendships.The double act spend most days cuddled up in the barn they share together and Thumper can regularly be seen perched on his pal's broad back.
Both animals reside at Peppers Field Equine & Poultry Rehabilitation Centre in Worksop, South Yorks., where sick, neglected and unwanted pets are looked after.
Trustee Chloe Watson, 33, said: "We're all really surprised and so happy about the relationship Twiglet and Thumper have struck up.
"They make for quite an unlikely pair but seem to make each other happy - so we're happy too.
"I think Thumper likes Twiglet because she's so warm and Twiglet seems very happy to have the cockerel perched on her back.
"It's so sweet that they have each other."In 2017 newborn Twiglet was bought as a £60 Christmas present for a woman called Elaine Edwards by her grandchildren, who saw an advert for a "micro-pig" on Facebook.
Twiglet slept on a mattress in her owner's bedroom, was house-trained to use a cat litter tray and regularly snacked on human food like takeaways as she ballooned in size.When Elaine sadly died in August last year from an unknown condition Twiglet was too large and panicky to be safely manoeuvred out of the flat in Dinnington, South Yorks.The 5ft-long porker was sedated before being strapped to a stretcher and lowered down a set of stairs by six firemen then transported to Peppers Rehabilitation Centre.
Chloe said: "Twiglet is a completely different pig to the one that arrived here last year.
"Due to her diet and living conditions she was in really poor health and needed a lot of help and support to improve.
"We've managed to get her on to a healthy diet and she's happier than ever."Initially she seemed very depressed about the death of her owner but as time has gone on she has really come out of her shell."She definitely lived a life of luxury in the flat, but it wasn't really the right environment for her."Chloe added that when she arrived Twiglet would spit out fruit and vegetables because she was used to eating foods high in salt and sugar.
She said: "Twiglet is definitely quite the character - she will let you know if she's not happy with you.
"She has little temper tantrums and goes off in a strop.
"Luckily most of the time she is great to be around is generally very loving and happy."Anyone who would like to meet Twiglet and Thumper can attend a Peppers Rehabilitation Centre open day next month on April 12.
