![]() ![]() Instead of an actual pig, why not gift a pig sponsorship? There are also plenty of opportunities to donate to shelters that provide the proper care for abandoned or surrendered pigs.However, the North American Pot Bellied Pig Association (NAPPA) says that those with potbellied pigs as pets “should expect that a mature, purebred, potbellied pig will weigh between 60 and 175 pounds” and “measure between 16 and 23 inches.” "It is an unethical industry," cautions Reever, "and the victims are the pigs." When you see photos or videos tagged "teacup" or "micro" pig, remember that many of these pigs have a hard time finding a forever home after they no longer fit into that teacup. We have 120 potbelly pigs here at PIGS and 85 percent of them have been pigs that people bought without doing their research and fell for the teacup pig myth."ĭon't be "pignorant" - find more information about "teacup" pigs here. When the pigs start growing, they call us. "We get an average of 30 requests a week to take in pigs that people have purchased under the assumption that they will be micro or teacup pigs. "I have been at the sanctuary since 2002 (going on 13 years) and have worked with well over a thousand pigs during this time," Susko says. "We've had some that barely made it past two years of life."Īnd their popularity doesn't seem to be waning anytime soon. Unfortunately, the prevalence of misinformation about the care of these complex creatures means that most teacup pigs live only about five years, even though "the average life expectancy for a potbellied pig is 12 to 18 years," according to Susko. Between her former job as an animal control officer, her current position at HSUS and her active volunteer work at PIGS Sanctuary, Reever says she has "seen firsthand countless pigs that were surrendered to shelters, rescues, and dumped because the 'teacup' pig grew to 100-plus pounds." Reever shares her home with two such rescues from PIGS Sanctuary - Annabelle and Arnold (pictured below) - and she "can attest to how smart they are, how closely they bond to their families and the specialized care they require." Janette Reever The Dodo reached out to Janette Reever, the Humane Society of the United State's (HSUS) deputy manager of animal fighting response for the Animal Rescue Team, for comment on the pet pig craze. Pigs simply being pigs is oftentimes enough of a reason for teacup pig owners to abandon their pigs or surrender them to sanctuaries like Best Friends Animal Society or Pig Placement Network. Their intelligence makes them exceptionally curious animals who will probably get into some trouble when they're bored, just like a toddler, and they can get territorial and moody, too. Pigs love to root, dig, roll in mud and splash in water. Potbellied pigs need other piggy friends and lots of space to roam - otherwise they can become depressed or angry. In fact, the smallest size that is healthy for these little guys is around 60 pounds (though that could be underweight, depending on the pig). However, potbellied pigs still grow to between 100 and 150 pounds on average - nowhere near small enough to fit into a teacup. ![]() Potbellied pigs (Sus scrofa domesticus) are wild boar cousins from Vietnam who are in fact miniature pigs when standing next to huge farm pigs (who can weigh more than 1,000 pounds) or even wild hogs (who can weight 450 to 700 pounds). So-called teacups are actually potbellied pigs who are either underfed to stunt their growth or who are sold under false pretenses." "Miniature pigs are mini compared to a domestic farm pig that can reach 600-plus pounds. "There really is no such thing as a teacup pig, micro-mini, Juliana, etc.," she tells The Dodo. But, as the executive director of PIGS Animal Sanctuary Melissa Susko confirms, this isn't the case. At first glance, it sounds purely adorable: a pig who will never weigh more than a human baby. ![]()
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