This Little Piggy Can Come to Your House

They’re affectionate and easily housebroken. They’ll sleep on the bed with you like a cat or dog, and report at the sound of their names. They’ll willingly walk on a leash, can use a swinging pet door and can be trained to do such things as ride skateboards. They are quiet and don’t at all mind being kept in an apartment or condo.

You’ll want one if only for the name possibilities: Pigmalion, Einswine, Pigtail, Magnum P.I.G., Hamlet. And their appreciation of culture, such as “Swine Lake” and the works of Pigasso.

But enough of this hogwash, and on to the story behind the hottest newcomer to hit the pet scene in Southern California since the rock.

Small, Porcine Mammals

They are miniature pigs; small, porcine mammals that reportedly first made an appearance in China around 4000 BC. According to Kayla Mull, a miniature pig owner in the Riverside County community of Norco, the breed was first written about by the Chinese Emperor Fo-Hi, who referred to their diminutiveness, swaybacks and pot bellies.

Mull, a 37-year-old microbiologist, said some accounts refer to the species as the pig raised by Neanderthal man.

Although nobody has any idea how many breeders are selling the Southland’s newest novelty, both Mull and a Northern California breeder contacted by The Times say they have long waiting lists for piglets. “To keep up with the demand,” Pescadero breeder Kiyoko Hancock said, “I’m working seven days a week, 14 hours a day.”

From their natural origins, some of the pigs eventually wound up in a Swedish zoo, and, several decades ago, a few were exported to Canada for breeding.

“In 1981, a friend of mine who deals in exotic creatures mentioned miniature pigs to me,” Mull recalled. “I didn’t believe him, so I challenged him to get me one. I was living in a house where the yard had assorted sheep, geese, horses, dogs and a tortoise--and there was room for more.

“Two years after I had made the comment, my friend phoned me one night. He said he had been to Canada, and had three Chinese Potbellies en route in a truck for me.”

When the microbiologist eventually found herself staring into three crates, it wasn’t stoves that were inside.

“I named the first one Test Pattern, because I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was amazed. They use a litter box, and they are as affectionate as other pets. My husband and I have had as many as seven in the water bed with us at one time.

“My other animals immediately took a liking to the little pigs. One of my dogs insists on a pig in his bed with him. My cat likes to chase their tails and--since a pig’s body temperature is 2 degrees higher than a cat’s--also likes to sleep on top of one, which is like resting on a clothes drier. As for the tortoise, a pig is the only visitor that won’t cause him to pull his head in.”

Boosting Pig Population

According to Mull, authorities on exotic animals guess there are no more than several hundred Chinese Potbelly pigs in the United States. After a year of living with her three Potbellies, Mull decided the pig population should be higher.

She began breeding them, and by the end of this year, expects to have placed 60 with eager human families through her Creatures of Comfort Co. The cost runs from $1,500 for a barrow (castrated male) to $10,000 for a pregnant sow. The gestation period is 110 days, and litters total from one to 10 critters.

Adult minis grow up to 18 inches, vary from 40 to 90 pounds, and have a life expectancy of as many as 20 years. Unlike livestock pigs, rather than being pink, they have a boarish black coat. Mull owns 13 at present.

“The castrated males have no smell,” she said. “Unlike what may be assumed, all of them like to be clean. They will bathe regularly if clean water is available, or can be bathed. They are highly intelligent, and gentle.

“I know of one family whose baby learned to walk by holding on to a miniature pig. It actually knew enough to take a couple steps, then wait for the baby to re-balance.”

Relative Rarity

Such is the relative rarity of miniature pigs hereabouts that Dr. Frank Lavac, a veterinarian who runs the Wilshire Animal Hospital in Santa Monica, said only three have been brought to him as patients.

“One had been bitten by a dog, the other had developed pneumonia and I sent him to the UC Davis Medical Center, where he received successful treatment, and the third one simply was brought in for a routine physical exam by its new owners.

“Their medical needs seem to be similar to those of other pets,” Lavac added. “They need vaccinations for various viruses and bacteria. They have internal parasites, such as a dog or cat, and may need worming.”

Mull, for one, feels the bum raps against pigs are pork industry propaganda: “They’ll sell more pork chops if they can portray pigs as unworthy of concern.”

Her philosophy on the creatures: “You own a dog, a cat owns you, but you live with a pig.”

In Pescadero, 40-year-old Kiyoko Hancock echoes that. About a year ago she learned of companion pigs: “I had been training show horses. A friend gave me a book on Chinese mammals. As soon as I saw a picture of one of the pigs, I knew I had to have one.”

Pig Hotline

Hancock, also a former teacher, began with a pair, one of them a gilt (young female), obtained from a U.S. owner. Since then, she has imported others from Canada, and thus far has sold 40 offspring through her Kiyoko & Co.

She also runs a Pig Hotline. For $50 an hour, she dispenses advice on such matters as housebreaking, and teaching the pet to walk on a leash.

“Pigs never have fleas,” Hancock enthused. “They make perfect pets for people with animal fur allergies. If you have a pool, they love to swim.”

As for their dietary habits, she said they enjoy a slice or two of avocado, which also is good for their skin. Mull said their normal chow is special pellets marketed by Purina, but they will gladly accept popcorn, pizza and just about any table leftover. “One of mine has a taste for Perrier.”

Technically, according to a spokesman for the City of Los Angeles Animal Regulation Department, keeping such an animal is allowed only in areas zoned for agriculture. “A pig is a pig is a pig,” he said, presumably paraphrasing Gertrude Swine.

However, although the pet may grunt, he will rarely squeal.