They Bought a 'Teacup' Pig, or So They Thought

Lonely and isolated Americans turned to "unconventional pets" for companionship during the pandemic, writes Amira McKee in the Wall Street Journal. One of those pets turned out to be more than they bargained for: so-called "teacup" pigs, which McKee quickly explains is a misnomer, because there's no such thing. Buyers lured by Craigslist ads and cutesy labels like "micro" or "pixie" are discovering years later (pigs take up to five years to reach full size) that their supposed 40-pound lap pet can easily top 200 pounds.

Veterinarians quoted in the story are blunt: There's no recognized breed of "teacup" pig, and "mini" in breeder-speak usually just means smaller than 300 pounds. McKee details how owner Jessica Moul's now-200-pound pig "has outgrown the family bathroom, shredded a couch, and required the installation of heavy-duty horse panels to keep him from escaping the yard of his Arizona home." Sanctuaries and rehoming networks say they field hundreds and even thousands of surrender requests a year. Read the full article for the stories behind pigs named Tucker, Speedy, and Stella, the latter of which has her own bedroom.