Pigs get a bad rap.
Looking like a pig, eating like a pig, a place that looks like a pigsty, or even a chauvinist pig. If any of these metaphors are thrown your way, the person sending it is not complimenting you.
And let’s not even get into the swine flu.
But this holiday season, there is hope for oinkers. Something that just might make being a pig cool again.
Kathleen Wasaff has been breeding teacup pigs for years on her ranch in Somerset and knew about the secret a long time ago.
“They have been on TV so they have become popular lately, but they have been around for a while.” Wasaff said.
She is talking about a teeny, tiny version of the animal so many discriminate against. Tea cup pigs are said to cleaner than a cat, smarter than a dog, and just might be the perfect indoor pet.
They do not shed like canines or felines, they use a litter box, their health maintenance is low, they are very trainable and bond to humans and other animals.
And maybe the best part is, they stay small and cute. Kathleen says her pigs only reach a maximum length of 13 inches.
The pigs are becoming a prize in the UK and other place overseas, where they are selling for more than $1,000. Kathleen’s pigs are a bargain by those standards (she recently sold some for $400) which may explain some of the long distance calls.
“I have received calls from interested people overseas, but I will only ship inside the US and Canada.” She says.
In fact, she had just put some pigs on an airplane shortly before bringing a litter to KENS 5 that stole the hearts of most of our staff.
But as perfect as they may seem, there is one small problem.
They are illegal.
At least in San Antonio and other cities. The pigs are still considered livestock and there are ordinances which outlaw them. Wasaff says she has had to break the bad news to many people who are interested.
However, if they pigs continue their rise in popularity, Wasaff thinks laws could change. Some cities have already made exceptions for the small swine.
And who knows, it may not be long before “cute as a pig” is something to blush about.
