An alarming new trend courtesy of the recent ad on the classified page of the Philadelphia Inquirer, with the headline, "Pigs as Pets?" got me thinking about the tendency to breed all things small. The article, which is basically an advertisement, talks about the new penchant for "teacup" pigs, a recent pet craze.
Teacup anything has become popular courtesy of the Paris Hilton types who are photographed toting their small charges on the streets of Beverly Hills and Manhattan, usually tucked into a designer purse with a strand of pearls around their petite necks. These miniature breeds are so inbred that they usually come with large problems that often necessitate huge amounts of cash to fix.
And now, apparently, we have teacup pigs, a blend of three varieties, that actually grow to be between 40 to 65 pounds, the equivalent of medium sized dogs. They can be litter box trained and seem suitable for those with allergies to dog dander, but beware, especially if you take pride in your housekeeping abilities and/or your lawn. And I quote: "Pigs need owners who can look on the bright side when their pet digs into the trash or escapes from its pen...Owners should fence of areas of their yards that they do not want to be destroyed by pigs 'rooting' or digging with their snouts."
Bottom line here is that pigs will be pigs and if you live on a farm and want to keep them for pets in suitable pig enclosures, more power to you. They are bright, love attention and the mud. But please do not stuff one into a chic tote and strut down the streets of New York no matter how adorable you might think you or they are.
You are doing a disservice to yourself and more importantly to the pig.
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