Mini | pot belly pigs as pets and care

What do David Beckham, Paris Hilton, and George Clooney have in common? They are all part of a growing group of miniature pig pet owners!

Miniature pigs have been popular pets since potbellied pigs were introduced to the United States and Europe from Asia nearly 50 years ago. Since then, selective breeding has been creating smaller and smaller lines of pigs in an attempt to create the perfect pet pig. The result is some of the cutest, most adorable pets around.

But not only are miniature pigs adorable, they are incredibly smart too. In fact, pigs are the fourth smartest animal on Earth. That makes them the smartest pet you can have. This intelligence helps make pigs curious, social, attentive, and playful pets.

However, it also makes being a pet pig owner demanding. Pigs need to be constantly entertained. This means they either need someone near them at all times, or they need other animals to interact with. Many owners that can't be with their pig all day will typically get two pigs so they have a buddy to play with.

If you're thinking of getting yourself a pet mini-pig, there are quite a few things to consider. Unlike the decision to have a cat or a dog, or a canary, the choice of a pet pig is more complicated. You really must evaluate whether your home environment, your lifestyle and your family can handle the challenge.

A pet pig needs a different level of care, training and a realistic expectation of what it's like to have a pot belly. He needs a house with a first floor access to a yard to get his exercise and to do his thing.

Even though they are small, cute and cuddly, some may still grow to size that you don't expect, and so you must understand this upfront. His living space must be planned out, and depending on which breed you choose, home requirements will differ.

The local legal situation must also be checked out because many communities don't recognize him as a pet, and will treat your piggy as a regular 'farm' pig. Which is another thing: you must make sure that you don't get a 'counterfeit' pig that will grow to over 1,000 pounds, and turns out to be a regular pig! You'll still love him, but can you really give him 'house room'?

One of the most interesting aspects of human beings is to breed animals and pets. Many domestic animals like cats, dogs, birds etc are adopted as pets. Pot bellied pigs or generally abbreviated as PBP's are one of a kind of pets that many find very interesting to breed as pets.

Pot bellied pigs originated from native Vietnam. These pigs are known to have fourteen sub species. A fully grown up pot belly pig would weigh about 136kg and look like a large breed dog. These pigs have all desirable qualities of a pet. They are intelligent, affectionate, very playful, highly hygienic and extremely clean. Pigs are available as readily trained and hence the owner may not find it too difficult to adopt them into the family. We can see lot of families who breed these pigs are their pets and make them a part of the family. Children easily develop a strong emotional bondage with the pigs very easily.

It is important to take care of a few points before buying a PBP. Firstly we must get the pig from authentic and reputed breeders. Pot bellied pigs are fond of food explicitly. They need regular feeding of quality food. Else we can find them dig out every possible location in the house from laundry bags to trash bags in search of food. Just as any other pets, the pigs also need timely vaccination and health check ups. Regular consultation of local Veterinary doctor is always advised. Of last we need to remember to check with the local authorities if it is permissible to breed these pigs as pets.

What is Pot Belly Pig?

Pot-bellied pigs are small sized pigs suitable for indoor living if trained properly. Most range in size from 13-20 inches tall and can grow to approximately 200 lbs. They are curious animals with a humorous disposition and an intelligence only second to that of the dog. They are not finicky eaters and can be house trained.

Pot-bellied pigs became a pet of fashion in the United States in the early 1980s to mid-1990s. Unfortunately not many owners were educated adequately about the care and maintenance of a pot-bellied pig and many were abandoned in newly formed “pig sanctuaries” and “pig rescue” organizations. Since that time, much information has been published and organizations have been formed to give the desiring owner the adequate resources to keep their future pet healthy and maintained.


Why Pot Bellied Pigs Make Great Pets

Did you know that pigs are the fourth most intelligent animal on the planet? They are fourth on the list after humans, primates, dolphins and whales. Most of us can't keep a whale or a dolphin as a pet (for obvious reasons) so if intelligence rates high on your choice of pet, you really should consider pot-bellied pigs.