The Truth About Teacup Pigs: What Happened to the Animals?

A few years ago, there is so much craze about a new breed of pet. Teacup pigs become an instant favorite for animal lovers. They are usually the breeds of Vietnamese Pot Belly, Kune Kune and the likes. They weigh from half a pound at birth up to 60 pounds and measures 12 to 24 inches.

Teacup pigs are not that different from other kinds of pig. They are also inherently intelligent, sensitive, self-aware, and perhaps, the cleanest domesticated animal.

An experiment reported by BBC showed how a piglet was able to recognize its reflection in a mirror. Compared to a child who may take years to recognize themselves, a piglet only took a few hours.

Each teacup pig costs about $1,000 or more and is sold in pairs. Expensive for many, but not for celebrities like Miley Cyrus and Paris Hilton.

But, do teacup pigs really exist? Or it is just a fad? Teacup pigs, miniature pigs, micropigs or whatever name it is called, those are still pigs. Teacup pigs are made by starving them to stunt their growth. Micropig sellers advise their customers to underfeed them so they will not grow. As a result, their skeletal system remains small, but their internal organs continue to grow. This leads to internal health problems and many complications. This practice makes teacup pigs live shorter lives than the regular ones. Those who manage to survive will then be inbred to produce smaller pigs. As it inherits the physical stature, serious health conditions are also transferred.

According to modernfarmer.com, it is nothing but a marketing scam. Piglets are sold as minipigs and these end up becoming large regular pigs. Not expecting that it will grow large, pet owners cannot sustain higher-budget food and secure a place where it can roam around. Pigs are usually abandoned because of these issues.

CBS News reported a similar incident in which a breeder promised that the minipig will remain 12 inches tall. However, it grew to 20 inches weighing 180 pounds. It escalated into a family issue wherein the owner was left to choose between the pig or husband. Choose the pig, and the latter will leave. It has become a common story for abandoned pigs.

According to Sue Parkinson on the same report from CBS News, there is not enough place for the rescued pigs. In June 2016, a fundraiser was launched via gofundme.com to help the abandoned pigs. The goal is to raise $25,000. However, it only managed to raise $3,080 as of this date.

To further complicate things, some veterinarians refused to treat the pigs because they are considered farm animals. This results to worse health complications like loss of muscle mass, respiratory illness, skeletal issues, and unchecked health issues which never received immediate veterinary care.

Google Trends showed a steady decline of searches for "miniature pigs" for the past 5 years, which translates to decrease in public interest. However, the trade remains rampant as of today. This means that the road to animal freedom dreamed by advocates like Sue Parkinson is still long.