Pigs & Pups?

I often think of my little pup as a piglet (dude will steal your pizza when you’re sick, on NyQuil, and asleep mid-mea!)... But is it cool to keep pigs as pets? There is a growing popularity of teacup pigs, especially among celebrities. Golden Globe goody bags even included pet pig vouchers. And with famous owners such as Paris Hilton, you have to wonder if this isn’t just some awful trend. The BBC gives us two opposing views.

Jane Croft, the UK pig breeder who is responsible for the craze, believes that pigs make perfectly good pets. They are very intelligent, clean, small—sometimes as tiny as 12" high—and not to mention completely adorable animals. They can be house trained like a dog and they have hair rather than fur which is great for allergy sufferers. On the other hand, Kirsty Bayley, a pig herd manager at The Institute for Animal Health, basically thinks that’s bullshit (or pig shit?). As farm animals, they are not meant to be solitary pets and need to be in a group of about 10 for their well-being. Also, due to their rooting nature, you may find your home rooted up!

I don’t know... as cute as those little guys are, the “Institute for Animal Health” sounds pretty damn official when considering animal health & well-being. So, no pet pigs for me—besides the one I already have. Who knows if one would be safe in my home anyway.