It is inarguable that dogs have enjoyed the status of being the most popular pets among animal lovers for centuries now. But other animals such as fish, birds, guinea pigs, cats, ferrets, and hamsters have earned more or less the same status as pets. As the times got more modern, several animal lovers started adopting exotic types of animals as their own home pets. These include, but are not limited to, tree frogs, snakes, turtles, and iguanas, resulting to diverse types of pets found in homes across the globe.
Due to these new exotic pets now in the household, the idea of pigs as pets may not be a surprise for you but its sheer size is definitely a challenge in housebreaking them. Yes, the folks of old had them in pens but were not really treated as part of the family. In fact, farm pigs are bred for the simple reason of getting the meat for food.
Even if people wanted to really adapt pigs into their homes, the space constraints naturally held them back. Thanks to the breeders who wanted to come up with small-sized pig breeds, all pig lovers out there can now own a teacup pig without worrying about their size. Compared to farm pigs and pot-bellied pigs, teacup piglets are expected to grow up to 20-45 pounds only, which makes it a wonderful addition to the family indeed.
I have been an animal lover my whole life. I have always loved pigs and have now been raising teacup pigs for over three years. During this time, I have read several books and helped several people with having a teacup pig as a pet.
Reasons why Teacup Pigs are becoming popular as pets
The popularity of mini pigs somewhat started from Britain and swept across America as well through the help of British and Hollywood celebrities who were seen strutting around events with their adorable micro pigs.
As mentioned above, the trend of keeping teacup pigs have become immensely popular these days but the animals should not be treated as such – a passing fad. Although the trend started around the 1980s mostly in the form of miniature Vietnamese potbellied pigs, small varieties of pigs that can be fit into a teacup skyrocketed to stardom within a few years. In fact, they were known to be the “in pet” for a time and almost every animal lover was dying to get their hands on one or a pair of teacup pigs. However, they are animals that need to be cared and loved for, thus, getting yourself one to be grown as a pet, you need to understand first how to rear them appropriately.
Generally, teacup pigs live from 10 to 15 years and may be with you longer up to 20 years or so if you give them the proper care and nutrition that they need. They are also typically healthy, clean and robust. They can sometimes act aggressive but it is up to you discipline them. As every new generation of breeds come out, they are becoming more and more domesticated especially when breeders know what they are doing in growing these piggies. Take note of this when you choose a seller so that the mini pigs you will be taking home with you has been taken care of appropriately from the time that they were born. They can adapt quickly to new surroundings and welcome human contact from an early age. Teacup pigs are also known to have a strong constitution and have few ailments compared to most pedigree dogs these days.
I collected some insights below on why these wonderful micro pigs can be ideal additions to your homes as pets. Indeed, they can easily become your new best friend and the companionship they can give you will be immeasurable.
- Contrary to what most people believe, they are actually very clean animals.
- It has taken decades to genetically breed these animals into small, nano pigs that they are today.
- They can be housebroken to use a litter box even if they are still babies. As they grow up, they can be trained to litter outside.
- Compared to the average feline or canine, they can be more intelligent.
- Teacup pigs are friendly and sociable as well as a preference to be given attention all the time.
- Unlike other household pets, they do not carry fleas and can stay generally healthy as long as they are properly cared for.
- Rather than fur, they have hair so they make ideal pets for individuals who have allergies. This characteristic has further made them lovable to people with allergies and health conditions such as asthma.
- They can be conveniently trained to walk on a harness so you can take them for a stroll around the neighborhood or in the park.
- They can also be taught how to dance, sit, stand up and so many other tricks.
- In sum, they can give you a lot of fun and laugh even to the point of bringing them wherever you go.
As you can see, teacup pigs are perfect pets in many ways so there is no question now why you should not have one or two in your house.
Proper Diet of Micro Pigs
To ensure that they get the right nutrition, you should feed your teacup pigs with a healthy diet that consists of feed specially formulated for them. In addition, there is a select group of fruits and vegetables that you can them. Many experienced mini pig owners have found a way to optimize their nutrition through balancing the right quantity of fresh fruits, grains, proteins and vegetables. You can supplement your teacup pig’s diet with any of the following natural foods:
- Bean sprouts
- Broccoli
- Beets
- Alfalfa sprouts
- Carrots
- Cucumbers
- Eggplant
- Celery
- Radishes
- Squash
- Green beans
- Sweet potatoes
- Zucchini and
- Turnips
- Honeydew
- Watermelon
- Cantaloupe
However, be very mindful of the quantity that you give them. These fruits and veggies may contain high amounts of sugar so be sure to feed them to your micro pigs in very small servings. Protein is also highly needed by your pixie pigs so you can also integrate some rich protein foods in their diet that may include nuts, soy, soy milk, tofu, and beans. Aside from these, you may also feed your lovely pig buddies some treats as a way to reward them of behaving properly. This is not really advisable though because giving them rewards may increase their aggressiveness for those times that they cannot have it. Treats are recommended during trainings though so that they will be more encouraged to get disciplined.
As a final note, schedule a visit to a veterinarian once a month so that whatever your teacup pigs need can be promptly addressed.
