Teacup Pigs

While, dogs enjoy the status of being the most popular pets for centuries, other animals, like, cats, fish, birds, ferrets, guinea pigs, hamsters, etc., too have a somewhat similar status. Even turtles, iguanas, snakes, tree frogs, etc. are raised as exotic pets by animal enthusiasts across the globe. However, it may be difficult for you to imagine a huge farm pig as your pet, even though, you adore them. Even if you want to raise pigs as pets, there may be space constraints due to their huge size. If you are a pig lover, who desperately wants to keep a pig as pet, then, teacup pigs can be ideal, as they are claimed to be the very small in size, as compared to the regular farm pigs and even pot-bellied ones. Read on, for more information about teacup pigs as pets.

What are Teacup Pigs

We all know that farm pigs are huge in size and may weight around 600 to 800 pounds. Even the small-sized pot bellied pigs can weigh around 120 to 200 pounds. Vietnamese pot bellied pigs were used for scientific research, as they were relatively small in size, as compared to regular pigs. However, smaller pigs were needed for research and this resulted in the selective breeding of pot belly pigs, that led to the introduction of miniature pigs. These pigs are smaller in size and are used extensively for medical research. Later, miniature pigs were introduced as pets in the United States. Now, there are various breeds of miniature pigs, that are otherwise known as teacup pigs or micro pigs. These small, cute creatures are now very much in demand as pets, due to their small size, attractive looks and gentle nature. According to breeders, the teacup pigs grow up to 65 pounds in weight and they will be fully grown in 2 to 3 years. Read more on pot belly pigs as pets.

While the smaller size is one of the attractive features of miniature teacup pigs, breeders' claims can be sometimes misleading. Even though, these pigs are small in size at the time of birth and may even fit into a teacup, with time they may grow to a much larger size, that can be contradictory to the breeders' claims. Most of images of teacup pigs are in fact, those of babies and when full-grown, these pigs can be as big as a large cocker spaniel. In short, if you are thinking of a teacup pig, that can fit into your purse, then, you are mistaken. Even though, the maximum weight of teacup pigs is stipulated to be 65 pounds, they can grow to a maximum weight of up to 150 pounds and a height of 21 inches. So, don't get duped with the images, that can be either of baby teacup pigs or of malnourished and underfed ones.

Teacup Pigs as Pets

Pigs can be very good as pets, due to their sweet, docile and intelligent nature. Apart from that, they can be trained easily and are clean and non-allergenic too. However, they can be aggressive and damage things, when they are bored or feeling hungry. If you have enough space for accommodating a teacup pig, you can proceed with its adoption. First of all, check whether it is legal to raise a pig as pet in you area. If it is allowed, contact a reputed breeder, who has teacup pigs for sale. Most people go for sterilized teacup pigs. As pigs are social animals, they need friends. If you have other animals, a single piglet will be sufficient. Otherwise, go for pairs. You can use a dog kennel with a soft bed for the piglet to sleep. They need exercise, so provide them with sufficient space to play. It will be a good idea to make a small pool, with anti-skin mats in the bottom. Make sure that the water level is up to the first leg-joint of the pig. They love to play in water or simply cool off in the pool. They should not be allowed to play outside, if the sunlight is harsh. Light-skinned piglets may develop sunburns. Feed teacup pigs with raw fruits and vegetables. They need fresh and clean water and grass too, but, meat or meat products are not at all allowed. However, a veterinarian can provide you with more details about teacup pig care.

In short, teacup pigs can be great pets, provided, you have sufficient space in your house to raise them. Before adopting a teacup pig, collect enough information about the animal and then decide. Above all, approach reputed breeders, if you want teacup pigs for adoption.