Over recent years teacup pigs have exploded in popularity due to social media, celebrities, and countless tv shows. You have most probably seen all the cute videos of these cute little creatures cuddling with dogs, and if you were not able to control yourself, and are also thinking of jumping on the bandwagon and are going to adopt a teacup pig. Stick with us until the end of the article to get answers to all the questions that popped in your brain when you were making this decision.
Table of Contents
What exactly are teacup pigs?
You have probably heard names like teacup-pig, dandy-pig, designer-pig, micro-pig, apartment-pig, genetically-altered pig, micromini-pig, pocket-pig, and well, the list goes on. Suppose you have also been googling teacup pig vs. micro pig and have not found an answer yet. Let us break this to you that all of these are not distinct breeds but a variety of breeds that are smaller in size.
Pigs need a lot of space not because they are bigger but because they get bored easily and need space to exercise. Their boredom can lead to aggressive behavior, and they can even hurt their owners. Pigs are social animals; they are used to living in herds; they love playing, lounging, and sleeping together. Depriving them off of that can make them restless and eventually aggressive, which is why it’s best to adopt a pair rather than adopting one pig.
Is it legal to keep pigs?
In some countries, it is illegal to keep farm animals at home. Some people only get to know about it after they have bought the animal, and then there, the only choice is to give up the animal or move someplace else.
You get emotionally attached to your pets, and losing them can be devastating. The average lifespan of a potbellied pig is 12 to 18 years. But for teacup pigs, it is more or less five years due to the severe immune system and skeletal issues. Genetic disorders due to inbreeding can also contribute to this.
How big do mini pigs get?
Ever wondered How big does a teacup pig gets? They grow larger than expected because many pigs that the breeders sell are young and haven’t grown fully, which means they increase in size. Not many homes can accommodate a pet that size, so you should do your comprehensive research before buying a pet. You can ask the breeder to show you the parents of the pig you are going to buy. Even the smallest pig will not be that small when it fully grows.
Teacup breeders use cruel methods to keep their size small. Two of the most used methods are:
In-breeding:
Potbellied pigs are inbred to keep their size small now; this can lead to severe health issues in the offsprings since there is a lack of diversity. One of the health issues these pigs face is a severe respiratory problem.
Starvation:
Another common way to ensure a small stature is underfeeding the pigs. Breeders encourage pet owners to cut their diet too, which leads to organs growing, but the skeleton remaining small the result can be bone deformity and other health-related issues.
Pig Nutrition:
Another most asked question is How to take care of a pig after you buy a pet for yourself; you need to provide it with a loving home and take care of it. Now for pigs, water is very important; they should always have access to water, and you need to feed them at least two to three times a day.
How many pounds a pig consumes depends on its breed; potbellied pigs consume only a few pounds per day. Mini pig feed is available at some stores. Still, it is not easy to find it since they are omnivores and require a balanced diet consisting of vitamins, carbohydrates, minerals, fibers, proteins. Pigs enjoy eating vegetables and fruits.
Before you buy a pet pig, you need to keep in mind that you will have to spend between $750 to $3500 on your new pet. The cost of taking care of a big one only goes up from here; many owners have in their mind that this is a small animal, so the price will not be much, but a lot of them grow up to 100 pounds or even more than that. So you need to keep in mind a good enough food supply, visits to the veterinarian, and some other supplies to keep them entertained, which can cost thousands of dollars each year.
Owning a Pig is different from owning a cat or a dog:
Pigs are capable of forming deep loving bonds and are extremely intelligent, and for some families, they are the perfect pet! Although owning a pig is nothing like owning a cat or a dog, one reason being they are high maintenance, most owners are not ready for them to grow into full-sized adults. Pigs demand a lot of work and money. When pigs grow to their full size, they often do not get the space they need and can get aggressive.
Conclusion:
If you are going to buy a pig, remember that you need to have a lot of patience, space, and plenty of budgets to keep them happy, fed, and healthy. Most of the time, owners do not do their research before buying their pets and eventually abandoning them. Do ask the breeders to show you the parents of the pig you’re buying so you get an idea of the size it will grow in and make sure you have the budget to cater to their needs.
