Rounding up our favorite animal stories, photos, and videos on the Web each week!
Prom For Puppies
It's prom season for dogs! Get ready for furry tuxes, tiny tiaras and pure puppy love. [via PR Newswire]
The Bark Stops Here
What's worse than your dog barking nonstop? For Piscataway, N.J. residents, it's the new fine they'll have to pay if their dog is caught barking. Ever. Any time of the day or night. [via CBS News]
Pretty in Pink
The Cherry Blossom Festival celebrates spring with the essentials: music, food and, of course, real live pink poodles. [via Macon.com]
Bunnies Gone Wild
On the Bunny Cam, it's a complete (and entertaining) free-for-all for these adorable hares in a hurry. [via DailySquee]
All the Small Things
Do the best things come in small packages? Owners of these tiny hedgehogs, rabbits, and pigs certainly think so. [via Lemondrop]
"Doug and I will be lying in bed, watching DVDs, and she'll just lie there between us," she told Hello! magazine when she showed off her tiny pig wrapped in a pink blanket during a Christmas photo shoot.
Along with Victoria Beckham, who owns two of the must-have pigs, Hilton helped fuel the micro-pig craze when she purchased Miss Piglette. Hilton's new BFF, who will grow up to be just 14 inches, is the latest addition to the 28-year-old's pack of 13 pets.
While Hilton's pricey piggy might not have her own designer clothes or live in a mini mansion like Hilton's dogs, she seems perfectly content cuddling in the socialite's bed.
Micro pigs are the biggest newest trend in itty-bitty pets. They're adorable, extremely clean, and look quite manageable at only 14 inches high.
Looks can be deceiving. Micro pigs maybe not be as manageable as they appear on the surface. Besides carrying a possibly unattainable $1,160 price tag, these cuties are more high-maintenance than you might think. The UK's Daily Telegraph has rooted up another side to ownership of the pint-size porcine that is considerably less cute than the pigs themselves, saying the micro pigs could be a maxi-disaster. The Telegraph spoke with Kirsty Bayley, who is the Pig Herd Manager at the Institute of Animal Health, and who shared a few details that might make you think twice before bringing home a tiny piglet.
For one thing, because the precious pigs are bred so exclusively for their size, the risks of inbreeding and its associated health risks go up. Among these myriad health risks is decreased fertility, which is a major problem if you're hoping for a portly profit.
Pigs are very social and surprisingly active creatures, so they're happiest with at least one companion pig, lots of room, and lots of toys. If they're not properly entertained, they can quickly begin exhibiting signs of depression, such as lethargy or repetitive movements, according to what Bayley told the Telegraph.
Bayley also warns potential pig purchasers to be wary of buying from a breeder without a reference, as there have been numerous documented stories of people purchasing what they believed to be micro pigs, only to have what were actually piglets grow into full-sized pigs once they hit their growth spurts.
Though the urge to get your hands on one of these delightful, darling pets may be irresistible, don't let it become an impulse buy. A toy-sized animal isn't a toy. Do your research, and make sure you and your family are thoroughly prepared to handle a micro pig or any other pet before you reach for your wallet.
Story update: For more information on this trend check out the video from ABC News below:
The UK's micro pig obsession is about to get bigger. According to the UK's Daily Mail, singer-turned-fashion designer Victoria Beckham recently splurged on this season's must-have: Micro Pigs.
At $1,160 (£700) each, Victoria and David Beckham's two new micro pigs are living like the rich and famous at the couple's home in Hertfordshire, England.
At only 9 oz. at birth, these micro pigs are surprisingly clean and sociable pets, reports the Daily Mail.
While the former Spice Girl wishes to name her trendy pets after her good friends Elton John and David Furnish, her soccer star husband prefers to call his piglets something more traditional: Pinky and Perky.
We wonder how long it will be before the two piggies make it into Victoria's purse.
Teacup pigs are all the rage in Britain right now. These micro-pigs are much smaller than a standard farm pig and weigh 9 oz., making them the size of a teacup when they're born. The adorable pets are sold for up to $1,125 (£700) each.
Geoff Robinson Photography
The trendy pigs, which grow to just 14 inches tall, have become nearly impossible to get hold of in the UK!
Geoff Robinson Photography
Jane Croft, breeder of the teacup pigs, now devotes all of her time to breeding the UK's newest obsession. "Demand for micro pigs is soaring and we are inundated with inquiries every day," Croft told UK's Daily Mail.
Geoff Robinson Photography
The irresistible little piggies are even being snatched up by celebrities, including Harry Potter actor Rupert Grint.
Geoff Robinson Photography
"It's amazing how popular they have suddenly become and just how many people want pigs as pets," Croft told the Daily Mail.
Time-Lapse Tortoise Noms Salad
