Condiment: Five Faves: Apt2b.com's Mat Herman
Ashley Dupre, Former Eliot Spitzer Call Girl, Opens Lingerie Shop
Advertisement
Man's New Best Friend: The Teacup Pig
Why settle for a dog when you can have your very own pig? Why miniature potbelly pigs, affectionately known as teacup pigs, are fueling the latest pet craze.
Posted 7/ 8 10 at 4:30 PM | The Next Big Idea?, Advertising & Marketing, Leadership, Consumer Products & Services, Inventions & Innovations, The Next Big Idea?
Text Size:
A A A
Pigs get a bad rap for being messy, but a new trend is emerging that's turning homes all over America into literal pigsties. Teacup pigs -- an endearing name for a miniature potbelly pig -- have wiggled their way into the hearts of pet lovers with their curly tails, turned-up noses and especially small stature. And entrepreneurs in the teacup pig game are starting to capitalize.The latest pet trend started in Britain, where celebrities like David and Victoria Beckham and red-headed Harry Potter star Rupert Grint purchased teacup pigs. Now the little piggies have crossed the pond. Florida's Angel Enterprise Farm markets the pigs as "the fine little swine," and describes them as "a friendlier version of a cat." Like cats, the pigs can be trained to use a littler box. Unlike cats, they have trouble moving their stocky bodies up a flight of stairs and rarely land on their feet. But by most accounts, they're an affectionate breed.
Teacup pigs have a lifespan of 15 to 20 years and a price tag up to $1,600, depending on just how small the oinker is. Teacup pigs are known by other names, too, including micro-pigs, mini-pigs and teacup piglets, but they're all the same -- a downsized version of a potbelly pig.
But the Animal Rescue Site warns that the "teacup" trend is a marketing ploy -- these pigs may fit in a teacup when you buy them, but within five years they can weigh up to 80 pounds. While that's "teacup"-size relative to 800-pound full-size potbellies, many consumers are unprepared to care for the pigs when they mature, and pig sanctuaries are overflowing with 300,000 discarded potbellied pigs that grew to 150 pounds or more.
Dave Fox, owner of Aquapawrium in Waretown, N.J., says he has seen rising demand for teacups in his shop. He knows that having the pigs in stock would be good for business, but so far, he's only come across micro-pigs for sale in the Midwest. Shipping them to his shop in New Jersey can cost $400 and could also damage or scare the pigs.
"If I could find someone locally who would bring me them, I would bring a couple in, because I've had a lot of people inquiring," Fox says.
Getty Images
- JPMORGAN FIASCO: Why $2 Billion Is Just the Start - CNNMoney
- GET THAT JOB: Top 5 Interview Spending Splurges You Should Make - FOXBusiness
- WOMEN & WALL STREET: Most Powerful Women in the U.S. - InvestorPlace
- How to Thwart the Financial Advisors Mismanaging Your Money - The Motley Fool
- HOLLYWOOD CASH: Glitzy Obama-Clooney Fundraiser Breaks Records - IBTimes
- JOBLESSNESS MADE WORSE: 200,000 About to Lose Unemployment Benefits - CBS MoneyWatch
- LOOKING UP: Consumer Sentiment Rises as Gasoline Prices Fall - 24/7 Wall St.
Comments (Page 2 of 2)
Let us send a few to our Arab friends. They'll love it.
Pigs, of any sort, are incredibly intelligent friendly and they make wonderful pets.
However, they NEED open spaces. You're not going to have a good pet of a pig in the city. It needs fields, it needs grass, it needs to root. You cannot get around this with a litterbox.
If you don't have at least an acre of space with trees and other coverage, please, don't get a pig. They are not indoor animals and no amount of care will make them one.
That said, they are very clean if you give them enough space and a water supply. The idea of a pig in mud comes from the pigs being kept in pens too small for them or with too many pigs in them, with a lack of shade and water, so they have to use the mud to cool off. Given a wider range, pigs will generally stay clean and happy. They are also incredibly intelligent; when raised properly, a pig is often far smarter than any dogs. They can be easily trained and are actually problem solving creatures. Be careful not to leave them locked in a place with a simple latch that they can reach, as they'll figure it out.
Pigs are great, but you have to be in a farm or otherwise rural environment to keep them. Don't try it in the suburbs or in your apartment or something.
Piggers forever.....a pig is a great pet but if you try to feed
or raise it like a dog or a cat you are destined for HEARTBREAK....
THE GOOD THING IS WHEN YOU GET TIRED OF IT YOU CAN GRILL IT
That pig would be perfect for camping. He could walk behind us through the woods instead of carrying lunch in a cooler. All I would need is a small fire and a "teacup" of BBQ sauce.
Please do not believe every thing that you read. Our Sanctuary of 75 potbelly pig has 27 "Tea-Cup" weighing in at 135 to 285 and were sold by a very "reliable" breeder in Texas, PLEASE DO YOUR RESEARCH. With the right enviroment and knowledge, Potbelly Pigs make a wonderful pet and companion animal. DO YOUR RESEARCH: zoning, care size and most of all your sellers reliabllity
Might do??? Hell, you know as well as I do this "article" is going to do A LOT of damage!!! Why? Becuase people are STUPID especially when they WANT something! Ohhh it's sooo cute, I WANT ONE!!! How STUPID can someone be?!?! Like any animal, they grow UP...it's a PIG for God's sake people! What? Just becuase some smuck named it "Mini" or "TeaCup" it's not going to grow??? USE YOUR BRAINS PEOPLE!!!!
This is a JOKE! Ive had and bred pigs over 20 years...NO SUCH freeekn ThING as a TEA CUP PIG! Yes there are small potbelies but they still will reach sizes of 100-500 lbs. A mini piglet is a starved piglet! The person who wrote this is CLUELESS!!! Not to mention the boars STINK and the females will forget ALL theri potty training every 21 days if not fixed...piglets have to be fixed VERY YOUNG or its next to impossible. $1600 LMAO go to the pig rescues, go to the auctions, those cute little piglets become unwanted pets quickly and they cant GIVE THEM AWAY. Disgusted with the damage this article might cause seriosly misleading people!!!!
Kind of sad how there are some acting like bad-asses on a thread like this, taking a story about a fairly helpless animal and trying to bolster their own lack of self-esteem by pretending they exerted some sort of dominance over it. Probably scared of their own shadows and live with their mothers
MANS NEW BEST FRIEND?? A PIGS STY IT IS. NYUCK HYUCK
I hate tit when this happens. I just means that thousands of animals are going to be adopted and soon forgotten about. Then passed around from one owner to another just to end up being put down. Don't adopt any animal, wether it be a pig, dog or cat, or whatever unless your a responsible pet owner who's in it for the long run.
I wonder what they taste like?
Nice Porkers...And small enough for a Small gathering......What do these Bovines Dress out at ?? Should feed at least 15 or so.....Looking forward too finding some locally
WE LIVE IN A HOME IN A LARGE CITY BUT WE ALSO HAVE A RANCH
I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THIS SWEET LITTLE PIG!!!!!!!!!
MY GRAND KIDS WOULD CRACK UP LAUGHING!
We had a traditional pot belly pig for our family years ago. She was wonderful. Very smart and trainable. We trained her to pee in a cedar chip filled cat box. Once she grew, she would jump in and pee... it would end up on the floor. We put her in a dog run and she was fantastic. She needed to root (dig up grass) and because they don't sweat they pee alot. I used to take her to school for the kids to check out and watch her tricks.
I loved her and so did the kids but you do need a yard with some room for rooting. The dog run worked perfect so she wouldn't tear up the yard.
Better they are pets instead of pork chops. If you are going to have
any pet treat it with love and caring feelings or do not have one.
It is expensive and time comsuming to have a pet but it can also be
a wonderful experience if you are truely an animal lover and are will
to devote the time it takes to make sure they are well cared for.
Hey ppl I have some ?'s that need to be answered!How much are teacup pigs?Is there a store you can buy them at?Also do you have to trim their holves?Please someone answer my ?'s with not stupid answers and I want people who care about pigs to answer my ?'s.THX SOOO MUCH!!!!
It breaks my heart to see hype of these poor baby animals. There is no such thing as a pig that stays less than 50 lbs. It takes pigs up to 5 years to mature and they breed at 4 months, so it is easy to fool the public. Less than 5% of pigs that are bought/adopted stay in their homes. People get rid of them, usually in horrible or sad ways. Pigs are one of the 10 most intelligent and emotional species, but they are not like dogs and are only legal in, or suitable for, a few special homes once they grow up. LET'S STOP THIS CRUEL CRAZE! Writers should have the ethics to research and understand their topic before putting out this propaganda.
If you want one of these piggies, just wait about three years, and you will be able to pick up as many as you want for free from resque organizations where first-adopters turned them in after realizing they were a mistake. Just what happened with the original PB pigs 20+ years ago.