Levi, a male mini-piglet. Photo courtesy Joyce Wells.

Move Over Beatles, Here Come the Piglets

The UK’s latest export is just too cute to ignore. Since being featured on the Today Show, NBC Nightly News, and MSNBC.com on Wednesday, “teacup piglets” have enjoyed short stints among the top-ten terms on Google Trends, a service of the world’s largest search provider that tracks close-to-real-time spikes in search term frequency.

“Teacup,” used loosely, covers a number of minipigs and micropig breeds. They aren’t new, but have been thrust into the spotlight as Brit celebs just can’t seem to get enough of them. Rupert Grint, best known for his roll as Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter films, purportedly owns two of the tiny, scrunched-nose quadrupeds. Those owned by Grint are a cross of potbellied, Kune Kune, Tamworth, and Gloucester breeds and aren’t cheap at $1,100 each.

More on MSNBC.com: Adorable ‘teacup pigs’ are latest hit with Brits.

According to Joyce Wells of Centerhill, Florida, who has been breeding minipigs for the past four years, pigs make great pets, are as smart as a whip, and potty train in a matter of days. By Thursday morning, her personal, pig-centric Web site and blog had hosted over 37,000 visits, a 1,600 percent increase, she said.

Will this sudden interest translate to pet pork pandemonium stateside? You tell us.

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October 10, 2009