Could You Love A Pygmy Goat?

Things to Consider When Adopting and Rescuing Pygmy Goats

This pygmy goat is for sale on Craigslist at this time.

Pygmy goats are adorable. They’re fuzzy, tiny and can make great pets for the right people. There are many, many different reasons why a pygmy goat may not be the right pet for you, no matter how cute you think they are and how badly you want one.

Drawbacks to Adopting a Pygmy Goat

Probably the number one drawback to adopting a pygmy goat is that they are excellent escape artists. They can go under fences and over fences. Sometimes you might swear they even found a way to go through the fence! For as little as they are, it takes a very tall, very sturdy pen to keep these animals contained. Many people also fail to realize that, though small, they require a large pen. This is because they are very active animals, and need to have room to run, play and plenty of grass to graze.

Male pygmy goats can tend to be very aggressive as well. While they may not look intimidating given their size, if they catch you off guard and ram you with their horns, it can really hurt! There is also an extremely unpleasant issue that you will have to deal with if you get a male pygmy goat that many people are unaware of. Whether your pygmy goat is neutered or not he will urinate on himself to attract females. It does not matter whether there are females in the vicinity or not, he will still do it. The smell of this urine is extremely strong and unpleasant and will permeate everything around.

Health Issues Involved with Adopting a Neglected or Abused Pygmy Goat

Pygmy goats are prone to certain conditions if they are not taken care of properly. Many people think that pygmy goats are low maintenance animals, but this could not be further from the truth. Pygmies require routine veterinary care so that they can get the shots they need for proper health. Goats also require frequent worming, so if you are adopting a goat that has been neglected and has not been wormed, they may have a severe case of intestinal parasites that will require medical attention.

Believe it or not, goats must also be groomed regularly. Neglect to groom the goat on a routine basis can contribute to health problems. One of the most commonly seen health problems that occur in goats that are not groomed properly is hoof rot. Hoof rot occurs when goat’s hooves are not trimmed on a regular basis, and bacteria is allowed to grow in the overgrown skin of the hoof, which causes them to become infected. If you adopt a goat with hoof rot, it will require immediate medical attention, as hoof rot can be fatal. Additionally, you must be prepared to trim your goat’s hooves yourself on a regular basis, or take it to someone who can do so, in order that hoof rot does not occur. If you feel that proper and routine maintenance of your goat is not something you are willing or able to do, than a Pygmy goat is not the right choice for you, and you should consider finding another animal to adopt.

“All goats are mischievous thieves, gate-crashers, and trespassers. Also they possess individual character, intelligence, and capacity for affection which can only be matched by the dog.  Having once become acquainted with them I would as soon farm without a dog as without a goat.” ~ David Mackenzie, Farmer in the Western Isles (1954)