Are Pigs The ‘New’ Puppy? Small Pet Appreciation Month
Post by Blog Manager Robbi Hess
I was listening in to a conversation in one of my pet groups in which our PR Manager Carol Bryant was being interviewed and she mentioned BlogPaws and our Small Pet Appreciation Month and asked if pot belly pigs are the new puppy and it truly got me to 
wondering.
Attending a BlogPaws conference or even a #BlogPawsChat on Twitter makes me realize the diversity of the pet lovers we have in our community. From dogs to cats to ferrets, guinea pigs, birds, lizards (I have a bearded dragon!) fish, mice, rats and anything in between, we are a group of people who dote on our animals whether they are furry, scaly, feathered or have hooves. Diversity is what makes the world go ’round, don’t you agree?
I can tell you that growing up, we were a family of pet lovers and I had gerbils, guinea pigs, hamsters, mice, a ferret, a pony, a horse, many dogs and cats and even a snake at one point. I was raised by animal loving parents and continue to love animals to this day. I admit that I love my and dote on my diva poodle the most, but in our houseful of four adopted cats, the 125-pound husky-lab mix dog and the lizard everyone gets attention!
What draws us to our pets? What makes us love a mouse as compared to a ferret or a cat instead of a dog or a pot belly pig or even a chicken? Is it because something in the pet’s personality drew us in? Was it because we wanted to have a unique pet? Prior to owning Henrietta, the diva mentioned above, I had never even met a poodle, but my research showed that she would likely be an ideal pet for me and my personality. I like that she is “pocket-sized” which makes her an ideal traveling companion. I like that she doesn’t shed, but that doesn’t hold much weight in a household with five other pets that do! She is energetic enough to enjoy long daily walks which keeps us both in shape but not so energetic that I have to keep her occupied every hour of the day. Frankly, she is an ideal companion and even her high strung, sometimes yappy, manic behavior is quite all right with me.
Pot belly pigs seem to be showing up for sale in my local newspaper quite a bit, but so do ferrets, mice, birds and other small animals.
What makes you appreciate your small pet? What kind of small pet do you have? What made you chose to become a pet parent to that particular species? I’d love to hear about it!
(Photo Shutterstock: Pot Belly Pig)
