Oink

I'm reading Matt Whyman's delightful Oink: My Life with Mini-Pigs and, naturally, I've got mini-pigs on my mind. A miniature pig/teacup pig/micro-pig is not a particular breed. The first miniature pigs were crossbred from the better known Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs (which, at around 250 pounds, are smaller than "regular-sized" pigs but are not actually small) for medical research. The recent pet mini-pig trend is controversial. They have not been bred long enough to have a consistent or predictable size. Some breeders sell tiny piglets from parents that are only several months old themselves and claim that the piglets will remain small like their parents. But a pig takes about three to four years to reach its full size, and mini-pigs can grow from teacup size to 60 pounds. Many mini-pigs are abandoned when owners expecting a purse-sized pet find themselves with a whole lot more.

Despite their reputation, pigs are clean. They are extremely intelligent--more intelligent than dogs--and easily house-trained. They are very social and have sensitive feelings; you can't just leave one outside like, say, a cow.

Last night when I informed the Wrangler of my plan to get tow mini-pigs, I braced myself for protests, but the Wrangler surprised me. He didn't seem to mind. Feeling the need for full disclosure, I did warn him that they are highly social and will need to live with us in the house. Even this was no cause for alarm on the Wrangler's part.

Well, then. That was easy.

I've decided to be a good citizen and rescue two abandoned mini-pigs instead of buying from a breeder.

Of course this means giving up eating pork. We've been avoiding it for a while and have cut way back on the bacon and ham, but I do love a tasty pork chop on occasion. This, of course, must stop immediately. It would be weird to welcome two pigs into the family and then eat their cousins for dinner.