Zoe Williams, a Guardian columnist, recently encountered a piglet at a market in the Cévennes, southern France, and was momentarily tempted to bring it home. However, after research, she warns that teacup pigs are terrible pets.
A Market Encounter
The pig, no bigger than a pug, lay on its side and snorted with joy when scratched. It belonged to a woman selling sweets to raise funds for an animal shelter. Williams spent €7 on lavender pastilles to prolong her stay near the pig, then texted her sister about the discovery.
Returning to ensure her sister didn't miss the pig, Williams found her surreptitiously kissing it. The shelter lady made it clear: “The pig is not for sale.”
The Research
With patchy 5G coverage, Williams had to choose between sending a photo to her daughter or googling whether teacup pigs make good pets. The answer, she found, is a resounding no—citing Reddit threads for details. Despite their unsuitability as pets, she describes them as “absolutely first-class sightseeing.”
