There’s no such thing. Just smaller breeds. Even so-called miniature pigs can easily grow to 150-200 lbs. They are only miniature when compared to 600 lb farm pigs. They apparently do make really great pets, but they need a lot of space (they aren’t apartment dwellers), a lot of socialization, and a lot of food.
This looks like an opportunity for rebranding. “Piglets” sounds so much more agricultural than “St Berlard puppies”.
One thing leads to another, and before you know it, you’re “Makin’ Bacon.”
Have you never tasted baby fur seal?
A 200 lb. pig IS a pygmy =) . I’m aware of the difference; I just couldn’t have a 500-700 lb. monster.
I’ve cuddled many pigs in my life, but it’s more polite to refer to them as “ex-boyfriends”.
Hey-oooooo!
Some of my ancestors fled the Year Without a Summer in Switzerland, came to America, and happily included squirrel in their diet. This story would be incomprehensible to them.
I said “cuddling” not “coddling”…
So are humans. What’s your point?
There’s another way to read that statement. I think there was another Boingboing thread about it. Something about the Middle ages.
Both.
And before you trot out a cute pet pig that is an abomination of breeding, I will remind you that wild boars and large farm pigs are the norm. Anyone who has ever been to an actual farm with pigs on it knows the truth.
Oh, definitely no joke.
Now, my Aunt and Uncle had a Vietnamese Potbelly at once point named Moose, and he was pretty cool. And not as large as the above.
My grandfather raised pigs, though no more than 5 at a time. And there are several small farms here that raise a few hundred as part of their mixed animal operations.
Pigs aren’t filthy or disgusting if properly kept. All intensive large scale farms stink and are gross. But well kept pigs are one of the cleaner less stinky things you can get going.
They are large, agressive, prone to breakouts and shenanigans, and territorial though. Pigs are also scary good at going feral.
Even those “cute pet pigs” aren’t abominations of breeding. They’re rebranded live stock. Pretty routine potbelly pigs and other small or smallish breeds that would otherwise be raised for meat.
The whole pet pig idea is a disaster, cause these aren’t animals that are appropriate for petdom. Unless you have an actual farm. The vast majority of people who get their adorable “minipig” end up handing them off to animal rescue or finding a farm in a panic once they start to grow up. From what I hear out of friends in animal rescue it’s a big problem since most animal shelters aren’t equipped to handle them any better. So they need to partner with farms or livestock rescues, and a lot of the animals end up euthanized or land in meat production. They won’t adopt the things out for the most part.
They have similar issues with most live stock, even small ones like chickens. Basically if you don’t have a decent chunk of land. Don’t get farm animals.
They are loud, noisy, scary beasts. They aren’t completely covered in filth, but even on a small farm with half a dozen or so, they are horrible.
They are abominations in that they are trying to make cute, smaller pigs for pets, when they should only be begrudgingly raised for food.
I don’t have to rationally defend my position on this issue this time.
Yes, and it gets my seal of approval.
I laughed but don’t you dare! Once you give them a name you can’t eat them - Even if the name is “Lunch!”
All the critters we ate as kids had names.
It makes them taste better.