Oliver “Teacup Pig?”

Oliver as a baby

I’m sure you’ve all heard about the latest craze on “Tea Cup” pigs. Well those of you that know pigs know this is a myth. It’s amazing how many calls I still get looking for one. And people I run across say they’d love to own one. It’s up to us that know to tell the truth. There is NO such thing. The breeder from the UK that touted her tiny teacups has been in the news with stories of those people that fell into the lie and now own huge pigs. The first and most reason for a person sending their pig into rescue is because of not being able to handle the size or behavior of their pig. All pigs including the farm pig breeds are tiny when born. These cute pictures you see of a pig next to a cup is just that. They are piglets that are just days old. And just like our children they all grow UP. The media is one of our downfalls. They post the stories of the rich and famous that get these cute tiny things. But have you ever seen a follow up story when they are grown? I haven’t been in rescue long enough to have been through this before, but is seems to come around every few years. They’ve been called “Mini”, “Micro”, “Pocket Pig” and so on. To get the idea into people’s heads that they can own a unique pet that stays the size of a tiny dog.

Here is a picture of  Oliver. Found in a box left in the woods to die. These two tiny boys at just a day old found their way to me. I nursed them with an eyedropper. It was touch and go for the first week, but as you can see they have not only survived, but have blossomed into two very special pigs. Oliver is just about to turn one at the end of the month. He now weighs about 50 pounds right now and aren’t finished growing. That’s going to take another 2 years until they reach their full potential. When he is fully grown, he will likely weigh in at least 100 to 125 pounds, and may even get larger than that.  This is completely normal, even for miniature pigs such as Kune kunes and Pot Bellied Pigs.

If you would like to know more about the “Tea Cup” pig, please visit this great web site. http://www.teacuppig.info

Ain’t Love Just Grand?

"Bob" was a real brat. He was given to Hamalot Pig Rescue

Since the people who had raised “Bob” never had him neutered,  he was just being a pig, and becoming dominate like male pigs will be.  That is, until they gave him to a place called “Hamalot.org.” Before they even picked him up for transport to Hamlot, Tracy and the vet went over and neutered him.  Then, he was moved to the place which is Hamalot.

Bob was a really nutty pig, “quite a knucklehead,” to use Tracy’s words, and on the 4th of July, when the fireworks were all going off all over the neighborhood, poor Bob just went absolutely nuts.  He streaked all over the place, running into fences, and getting about fifteen other Pot Belly Pigs all upset as well.  They had been just dandy, until Bob flipped out.  So, now there were sixteen piggies running like a bunch of billiard balls, shooting in all directions.

Then Tracy, the lady who runs Hamalot, walked into the herd of bonkers piggies, and they all, that is, except for Bob, circled around Stacy, and settled down, and went back to their normal situation of getting petted, and belly rubs.  Poor Bob was just running all alone, now.  Once the other piggies realized Bob was just nutty, they let him do the running and they stayed with Momma Tracy.

Tracy decided that maybe with Bob being rather new to the herd, a sweet little spayed girl Pot Belly Piggy was just the thing Bob needed.  So, Tracy went to get one sweet li’l thing named “Dottie.” Now, Dottie was supposed to become a personal piggy of Tracy’s, but the moment she laid eyes on Bob, her heart was shot though with Cupid’s arrow, and she was completely smitten.  Now, until this, Dottie even slept with Tracy, and was bonding well. But, Dottie immediately took to Bob, and she followed him everyplace he went.  She slept in his bed, and snuggled right up to him.  They were the cutest pair of Pot Belly Pigs you’d ever want to see.

Frankie & Dottie in Their New Home - Together Again

Ahhh, all was just grand, until someone adopted Bob, and took him away from Dottie.  Dottie was just so lonely, and heartbroken with her Bob gone, and all. Finally, about a week later, Tracy got a call to update her on how Bob’s name had been changed to “Frankie,” and that he was doing so well in his new home. Tracy mentioned that his best girl, Dottie really was miserable and very depressed without the love of her life. Poor Dottie was just wandering around looking for Bob.  Bob’s/Frankie’s new Mom said she would be happy to also take Dottie, and even though Stacy had originally planned to keep her, she knew that Dottie needed and loved “her guy” more than she loved Tracy.  So, the two lovebirds are again together, and even though Bob/Frankie wasn’t really crazy about it at first, they are now a happy couple, and should be together for the rest of their lives.

Unnecessary Death Of A Pot Belly Pig

If only she had the right information:

One lady I knew had a pet pig she got from the place we were doing the rescue prior to us stepping in.  Someone told her that dog food was OK for pigs. So she fed her beloved pig dog food, thinking it was cheaper than pig food must be.  Her pig got rotund, and one summer when it was well over 100 ℉, her husband dug a hole in their yard and filled it with water so their pig could cool himself.  The pig used the hole with water in order to cool off, but he was so fat, that he could not extricate himself, and he drowned.

The lady had run to the store for something, and on her returning home, she checked on the pig to see if he was still in the puddle of water or not. He was in the puddle, but it was too deep, and the pig had been unable to get out. He was already dead when she found him. (There is a difference between a mud wallow, and a hole in the ground deep enough to drown a full size adult Pot Belly Pig).  Accurate information is important, as is knowing who you can call when you have a question about anything to do with pigs. All her tears couldn’t bring back her cherished pig.

Three Hundred Adult Pot Belly Pigs Needed To Be Rescued

Three Hundred Pot Belly Pigs Needed To Be Rescued

The approximately one hundred piglets raised by PK Hawk were part of a three hundred Pot Belly Pig rescue They were all in danger of being destroyed, as county code enforcement had already served the owner, advising him that he was in violation and would have to get rid of all but four of his pigs or the county would be forced to destroy them all.

The man called PK, who had no way to handle this size rescue alone. Eventually Tammie and Lance Sandon, of Sandon Shangrila (a 501 (c) (3) non-profit charitable organization) heard about the situation, and stepped up to the plate.  Tammie was able to get a great donation from Farm Rescue, (another 501 (c) (3) who specializes rescuing farm animals) to help cover much of the cost, and she and lance put a lot of their own money onto the rescue, as well.

Most of the adult pigs on the property were not even pets, none were altered yet so that was one huge job to have taken care of. Man were too young to have babies, though they did. Many were so young that they did not even know what to do with the baby piglets. Some were just dropped and abandoned in the pen which contained pygmy goats in July and August, in temperatures in excess of 100℉ and they would die within a very short time had not someone take them, to hand raise.

All the pigs were infested with swine mange mites, and that was the first thing that needed to be taken care of, or everyone involved in the rescue would be infested, and need medical care.

Every last one was wormed, vaccinated, and altered (spayed or neutered) and any medical issues were handled by a qualified veterinarian. Those that were shipped to sanctuaries in other states were all cleared by one of the very few vets that are specially qualified and certified by the State of California to clear them for crossing state lines as well.

Many ended up being transported to sanctuaries.  Some were sent to New York State, to a pig sanctuary there. Others were taken by other sanctuaries in California and Oregon and Washington State.  While the great majority did get homes.  It took approximately two years to get all the pigs placed.  There were many people involved in  that rescue who worked tirelessly. Some fostered sows with litters, while others took a few babies to feed, and socialize, so they would be wonderful pets.

Is There Really Such A Thing As A Micro Mini Pig?

Short and sweet answer is: No, there isn’t any such animal.  The many pig breeders call their piglets everything from Tea Cup Pigs, to Micro Mini Pigs, and another one is something Royal D-something or other.

One of these people actually sent me photos of their so-called ultra small piglets, and tried to tell me that they had been raising their line of miniature pigs for at least two and a half decades, and that their pigs don’t get any larger than 50 pounds. They even said that their male pigs don’t even get tusks, when I requested photos of adult males with tusks. (So I would have a better idea of their correct age).

When I requested photos of some adult males, I was sent one picture of two males that were not babies, but were so malnourished that they were obviously stunted, and their hip bones and spine showed very plainly in the picture. Those were starving pigs.

Pot Belly Sow With Litter, (way too skinny)

Your Pot Belly Pig needs to be fed a diet of food made specifically for Pot Belly or miniature pigs. In addition to that feed, it should be getting plenty of green leafy vegetables, with the exception of iceberg lettuce, and other vegetable that cause gas, such as broccoli and cauliflower. These can cause gastric upset, and necessitate vet visits that could well be avoided otherwise.  Be sure you don’t overdo such things as raisins, carrots and other fruits that are high in even natural sugars, and even natural sugar can cause cavities, and that will lead to more pain and suffering for your pig as well as yourself and your wallet.  DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT feed your pig dog food. It is not created for pigs, and has way too many calories, and as many of you may already know, many commercial dog foods, are primarily corn, which is way too fattening for pigs. Corn also causes high cholesterol, even in pigs, which can drastically shorten their life.

Another thing about too much of anything that is high in calories, and causes excessive weight gain, is that when a pig gets obese, just as in humans, it puts too much stress on its joints, which can cause the cartilage which will lead to arthritis and inflammation of  the joints.

Many Pot Belly Pig breeders have web sites that show a little piglet inside of or next to a soda can or a coffee mug, leading people into think ing that their baby won’t get very large.

Just think about photos you have seen of kangaroos.  A full sized kangaroo is about six feet tall, yet when their young are born, they are less than one inch long, and have to travel up to the mother’s pouch, where they stay until they are able to move around on the ground. Yet, there little creatures will grow to the size of their parents.

Are You Considering Getting A Pot Belly Pig As A Pet?

Once this tea cup size piglet matures, it will weigh in at 100 to 200 pounds. Are you ready for that?

This Piglet And It's Future Is Up To You

If you are considering getting a pet miniature pig, make sure you have  accurate information so neither your or that sweet little thing won’t have to deal with the trauma of having to get rid of it sometime down the road.

There are many unscrupulous pig breeders who claim they have perfected a way to breed a miniature pig that won’t exceed 35 to 50 pounds at maturity.  They will usually also tell you that you will have to be sure to keep it on a strict diet so it doesn’t grow too large.  That happens to be their out, for if you do feed that baby according to their directions, it will be stunted, and have internal organ problems and if it does survive long enough to make it thought the first year, it will have all kinds of health problems. If someone who is sharp enough to realize the pig actually needs more to eat, and they go ahead and feed the piglet a more reasonable diet, and it gets larger than the breeder said it would, they will say you didn’t feed it according to their directions, and it’s all your fault you pig got too large.

Keep this in mind: Your pig will grow according to it’s genes. Underfeeding it will only produce a malnourished pig that is too thin, and won’t even look like a normal Pot Belly Pig.  A pig is a pig, and  a Pot Belly Pig is supposed to have a pot belly, and be reasonably rounded in body, not obese so that it is so heavy that it has trouble getting up and down, but comfortably rounded. You see pictures on this site as well as other pig rescue sites that show pigs in all shapes and sizes, as well as some that are so morbidly obese that they must be put on carefully controlled diets to help save them from being completely crippled, and unable to even move around.  Even these morbidly obese pigs still have to eat enough to survive, and not be starving. Just as weight loss for people takes time and some exercise, so it does with a pig as well.

Slowly, it will regain mobility and energy, and as long as the damage hasn’t already been done to it’s joints, it should recover pretty well, if not entirely.

Before you do buy a pig from a breeder, first check with a veterinarian in your area that takes care of Pot Belly or other breeds of miniature pigs.  Any qualified vet will know what kind of diet your pig will need, as well as the vaccinations required to prevent pneumonia, rabies, and Parvovirus, as well.