This Little Piggy

Move over teacup Chihuahua -- it's time to make way for the micro pig!

Yes, yes, I know. I tried to resist writing about this not-so-furry little creature, but I can't... help... it. They're so cute!

These little piggies, no larger than a guinea pig, are the new designer pet du jour, reports the UK's Daily Mail. Like cats, micro pigs will use a litter box, without need of any training. And unlike dogs, they don't need to be walked. Feed 'em twice a day and they're good to go.

So far, the little critters are only available in the UK for £700 (about $1,000 US), which while pricey, is really about the same as that miniature Chihuahua you've had your eye on (OK, that was me with my eye on the Chihuahua).

The pets are the brainchild of former veterinary nurse, cab driver and investment banker Jane Croft, 42, who first tried to farm regular-sized pigs, but changed gears when she grew too attached to them to, well, eat them. So she searched for smaller breeds of pigs to rear as pets. The piglets had her at "oink."

"Once you have bonded with them you want to be with them all the time. If you're watching the television with them at night and you go to bed, they sometimes start crying. You've got to give in to that, haven't you?'" she tells the Daily Mail.

Croft says the pigs are surprisingly clean and especially suitable to those allergic to dogs or cats since they have no fur and no produce no dander.

Seems like Croft's not the only one sold on the micro pets. Ever since the Mail broke the story, she's been inundated with dozens of media requests and hundreds of customer inquiries.

Of course, there are some obstacles to clear before you send away for your mail order micro pig. In the UK at least, you'll have to apply for a livestock licence from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Then you'll also need a license to walk them -- considered "transport" by the government (yikes!).

New Yorkers are for the most part out of luck: Croft insists that her customers have ample back yard space and won't sell to those who plan to leave the pigs at home alone for hours at a time.

So they might not make the best purse pet, but how can you resist that snout?

Watch a video of the micro pigs below:

Photo courtesy of Captain Manta via Flickr.