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Pigs as Pets
More and more Americans are keeping pet pigs. As potbellied pigs Maynard
and Cecil demonstrate on THE JOY OF PIGS, some pigs are more welcome in
the house than in the barn. These two have the run of their owner's Beverly
Hills home, and are just like any other household pet -- if a little rounder.
Maynard enjoys the lap of luxury. |
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Originally intended for display in zoos, potbellied pigs were first
imported into the United States from Vietnam in 1985. They became a
craze, and prices skyrocketed. Today, the fad has faded, but despite
the fact that they can grow to weigh 300 pounds or more if overfed,
potbellied pigs still maintain their popularity as pets. In order to
compete with other pet markets, pig sellers may lie, telling potential
buyers that a diminutive potbellied piglet will top out at a full-grown
weight of only 25 pounds. Within a few months, the new owners discover
that their pet porker has ballooned way past that limit and, unless
checked, is heading for a weight 12 times the one they were told! This
gives a whole new meaning to "bringing home the bacon."
But if an owner keeps a close watch on a pig's eating habits, a potbellied
pig should end up weighing no more than a relatively sane 100 to 150
pounds.
Pig breeders are now trying to create smaller versions of potbellied pigs,
about the size of small dogs, called "miniature pigs" or "micro-pigs."
More suitable for apartment living, these pigs should be less of a burden
to owners, who often are not prepared for a pig's girth, eating habits,
and sometimes unmanageable behavior.
Some owners do become disenchanted with their pets and abandon them
at shelters. That's where Suzie Parkinson and her ranch, L'il Orphan
Hammies, come into the picture. As you see in THE JOY OF PIGS, Parkinson
lives on her Solvang, California, ranch with more than 50 porcine companions
she has rescued from shelters. Many of them are pigs who grew from babyhood
to become gigantic, ravenous hogs -- natural for a pig, but more than
some owners bargained for in a pet. The National
Committee on Potbellied Pigs provides information to potential owners.
Anyone interested in adopting a potbellied pig should understand the
challenges, as well as the joys, of keeping this unusual, endearing
animal as a pet. Like dogs, pet pigs must go out for walks; like cats,
they can learn to use a litter box. They enjoy a good scratch or a fun
game of fetch, and can easily be trained. In addition, they generally
get along well with other domestic animals.
Pigs are instinctively wary of being picked up: in the wild, predators
capture them from above and lift them through the air. However, many
do enjoy lap visits and cuddling. Pigs are clean pets who will stay
tidy if they are bathed and groomed. To keep them cool in hot weather,
owners should provide lots of clean water for them to splash and wallow
in -- unless you'd rather keep a mud puddle around.
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