Pet Pigs

One of the most recent, trendy pets, is the pet pig. Make no mistake though, pigs are super smart pets, and should not be purchased on a whim. A pig is comparable to a dog in terms of intelligence so a person who thinks a dog is too much work for them, will not want to get a pet pig, in fact, some pig owners find the pig to be more demanding than a pet dog.

photo source

Pigs grow slowly, this sets the stage for some unscrupulous sellers who market small pigs telling the buyers the pigs do not get very big... two years later, however, the pig is big and the new owners are angry. Some breeders intentionally stunt a pigs growth through poor breeding practices and poor food early in life. Eventually these pigs either grow normally or they suffer from health problems because their outsides, and skeletal structure, stops growing, but their insides keep growing, causing a huge “pot belly” and sometimes resulting in considerable pain and discomfort for the animal.

Above is a pig that showed up in my yard one day, we found out from a neighbor that it's owner let it go and doesn't want it back - of course releasing an unwanted pet this way is illegal, it also goes to show that people need to think a lot more before getting a pet pig.

Pigs need to be fed pig food but can be given some people foods in addition, as such they are not cheap pets as some people might think.

Pigs need regular exercise or become bored and destructive, just like a dog would. They love to have mud baths and actually need these to keep their skin in good shape. They are curious and should be considered somewhat to be like having a child in the home.. they love to stick things in their mouth so a home must be “pig proof”. When outside pigs need shelter from the sun, and cold weather.

Pet pigs can live 10 to 15 years, which is a serious consideration when getting a pet. Anyone thinking about getting a pet pig should do more thorough research including checking to be sure they are legal as pets in a specific area.  As well it is a good idea to check into the different breeds and to only buy from a reputable breeder.

More Links on Pigs!

Pet Pot-Belly Pigs

There's a Pig in the Yard!

The Truth About Teacup Pigs

The First Flying Pig

The Tiger Mom and the Piglets

Sometime in 2006 an e-mail circulated about a female tiger nursing piglets to overcome her depression at the loss of her tiger cubs. 

I remember seeing this in 2007 and later did a search on it only to discover the whole thing was a fake.  The truth was a little depressing.

The tiger mom and the piglets were part of an entertainment feature at the Sriracha Zoo in Thailand.  This zoo is noted for having a tiger breeding program in which cubs are raised to be used in circuses or for sale to other zoos.  As such the cubs are probably taken from their mothers at a very young age and raised by people - or placed with a sow for equal entertainment value, at least for the hours people visit the zoo. 

The zoo went so far as to dress the piglets like tigers, but apparently this was also just for show, as the tiger skins were removed after the zoo closed.

one of the pictures from the circulated e-mail

To say if this is cruel or not is a person's own opinion.  It certainlly is not natural, although there have been some true stories where animals of one species raise young of an other (rarely a dog may raise a kitten, or young squirrels).  Nutritionally one would have to assume both the piglets and the tiger cubs were also fed special formula for their species.  In some cases visitors were allowed to bottle feed the young animals.  The Srirahca Tiger zoo would not be a place I would have on the top of my list to visit. 

It is interesting to note that there are currently more tigers in captivity than in the wild, yet many of the captive tigers are inbred to the point they have health issues, and short lifespans.

Further Reading On Pet Tigers and Zoos

Facts on Pet Tigers

So... You want a Pet Tiger... Other ways of having a Pet

Issues of Zoos

Teacup and Miniature Pets

Many people think it is cute to have a miniature pet, these are also known as “teacup” pets. Sadly this trend is generally considered cruel, the pets are stunted through poor nutrition, poor genetics, and generally have shorter lifespans riddled with health problems.

Many people who own “teacup” pets become defensive, insisting that their pet is in the best of health. In truth they do not know what is going on with their pet internally (liver and heart problems are common) and many health problems related to being stunted do not show up until later in life – and most owners simply attribute these problems to old age, rather than poor breeding or a lack of proper nutrition in the animals growing stages.

As mentioned teacup pets are intentionally stunted in many ways, breeding genetically small animals, to genetically small animals, is one of these ways, as well many unscrupulous breeders cheat on feeding, giving the growing animals less food than they should have, and often wean the animals early to sell them extra young.

Buyers should be aware that buying extremely stunted animals supports these cruel practices, and may leave them with a pet that has huge veterinarian bills later in life.

“Teacup” dogs are probably the best example of this breeding practice, but it does occur in the exotic pet industry too, most often with pigs. Many people are fooled, unaware that pigs grow slowly, and their stunted animal will still get quite large.

photo source - These miniature horses are at a show, they are not as small as some breeders are striving for - and are being shown to prove they are healthy and worthy of being bred.  The extremely stunted miniature animals would never be able to win a ribbon in a conformation class (most have leg deformities).

Miniature horses have been so grossly stunted that many die when foaling (giving birth) and many cannot give birth without human help.

photo source - In contrast to the miniature horses further above, we see Thumbelina - and by looking at her you can see the deformities in her joints, and head.  Thankfully her owners are not planning on breeding her. She is actually a dwarf as opposed to being a miniature.

In general it is advisable to stay away from anyone marketing or selling “teacup” pets of any variety. If you want a small pet – get a hamster! 

Further Reading

Creatures Great and Small - breeding to extremes - a list of health problems