Preoccupied Pals

Story Behind the Invention

Inventors Vanessa Pearson of Chatsworth, GA and Rachel Savino of McHenry, IL have created the first toy designed to align with the natural behaviors of a pig to prevent costly damage to your household.

Growing up, Rachel had two indoor pigs and the greatest struggle she uncovered was keeping them mentally satisfied. She searched endlessly for toys that would help keep them stimulated and out of trouble. However, it became very clear, very fast that this market did not exist. The more she networked, the more she realized this was an extremely huge problem among thousands of pig owners. She witnessed firsthand the high amount of surrendered or abandoned pigs due to their destructive behaviors. Pigs are extremely intelligent, which is why it can be difficult to keep them occupied so they will not engage in destructive rooting. Rachel and fellow pig owner, Vanessa, tried for years to come up with a toy that would incorporate two key components: food and rooting. The end goal was to keep pigs, or other pets, in their home but also to provide alternative toy options for frustrated owners who feel like nothing will help. In turn, they developed Preoccupied Pals!

The invention features a durable wooden frame that holds a PVC pipe with drilled holes for dispensing tiny pieces of food or treats. The pipe contains removable end caps for pet owners to easily fill the toy with food. A pig or other pet simply smells the food inside, then nudges it in a rooting motion and slowly pieces of food will fall. This keeps the pet entertained without overfeeding and promotes physical activity. It can easily be installed indoors or outdoors.

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