Pig Out: Tiny Swine Are Latest Pet Craze

Eight inches of pork for just $1,100

Trendy celebrities and posh fashionistas can often be spotted toting tiny dogs as accessories. But thanks to the UK, a new trend may have them going hog wild.

Tiny "teacup" pigs have become the latest fashion with our friends across the pond.

"It's about the size of a small spaniel," said Jane Croft, a teacup pig breeder who appeared Wednesday morning on NBC's "Today."

"They make fantastic pets. They're really clean. They're highly intelligent and just love to be loved. They give so much back to you."

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Pigs may not be the first animals you think of when you hear "clean" and "intelligent," but they're ideal for those who have dog or cat allergies.

"Their skin is very similar to ours," explains Croft. "They don't have fur, they have hair."

They're also cheap to care for. A $16 sack of food will last about four months.That's good news because the pigs themselves are not a cheap purchase. The tiny pets, which measure 8 inches from snout to tail, can go for $1,100 each.

Paris Hilton reportedly hopped the pond last month and dropped $4,500 on one of the cute critters.

But she could have stayed stateside, because one Chicago area breeder says he's got the mini pigs, too.

Andreas Georgiades challenges the notion that the tiny piggies are only available in the UK. He runs Potbellypigsusa.com and says he has been producing miniature pigs similar to the ones Croft is peddling in Britain for about three years. His little piggies are of the Juliani variety and range between 20 and 35 pounds when they're full grown.

One of his pigs just gave birth to two litters this August. The mama pig barely registers on the scale at 21 or so pounds. Georgiades, who's business is in Huntley, Illinois, welcomes interested pet owners to come by and buy one of the mini piggies, so it can go wee wee wee all the way to thier home.

Matt Bartosik, a "between blogs" blogger, is in hog heaven.

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