One pet pig lives a life of luxury, being taxied around in a pram and showered in £4,000 worth of gifts a year.
Merlin is a one-and-a-half-year-old mini Vietnamese Potbelly pig who lives a plusher life than most Brits.
He accompanies his owner, Mina Alali, almost everywhere as the pair travel, shop and even work out together.
The 25-year-old, from Sacramento, California, adopted Merlin in March last year and has spent every moment since spoiling the porker rotten.
Mina has managed to complete some dog-style training with Merlin, including teaching him to communicate through buttons.
Not only can Merlin respond to simple instructions such as lying down and waiting for food, he even impressed a guide dog trainer with his intelligence as he passed one of her training sessions.
Mina said: "I trained Merlin from the first week I got him. We started with the typical dog training tricks, and moved on to buttons and practical things shortly after.
"People love seeing Merlin expressing his wants and needs through buttons. I also decided to spice them up with funny voices and phrases, which people love.
"Some people online doubt that he truly knows what they mean, but his accuracy and consistency when the cameras are off prove otherwise.
"Merlin cannot be left home for a long time, so naturally I leash-trained him and now he loves any and all outings we go on. He is curious, like a toddler, and loves the attention he gets.
Not only does Merlin serve as Mina's perfect companion he is also her gym partner as Mina swaps dumbbells for her pet pig to act as the weight during her gym routine.
Mina explained: "I always wanted a pig - I love intelligent animals and always thought pigs were so cute. I knew I would have one, one day. I decided to adopt Merlin in March of 2022.
"He came from California Mini Pigs, but was on sale because a few homes had fallen through. When I heard that, I knew I had to get him.
"Sometimes he oinks in response to me or my boyfriend talking. He'll wait until we finish a sentence, and oink back. I love this, because I'd like to believe he's truly trying to communicate with words.”
Merlins’ pampered lifestyle includes using a high chair to eat at the table, 24/7 attention and cuddles, lots of fruit treats and ice cubes on demand, a blanket, and a pram to be pushed around in when he’s not feeling walking.
