A woman has trained her pampered pet pig to 'speak' - and even lets him sleep in her bed.

Mina Alali, 25, bought mini-pig Merlin in March 2022 when he was just two-and-a-half months old.

Since then she has trained him to ‘speak’ to her by pressing electronic buttons which say 'outside', 'eat' and 'ice'.

The clever hog can also high-five and dance and perform other tricks such as sitting and staying like a dog.

Mina takes Merlin for walks on a lead, and even takes him to dinner with her friends.

He feeds mainly on Mazuri pig food, leafy greens such as rocket and spinach, and loves ice cubes.



On her Tiktok account @mina.alali Mina shares videos of the pair dancing together, eating meals, and taking orders from Starbucks Drive-Thru.

Influencer Mina got Merlin - now one - from California Mini Pigs in Igo, Northern California, US, a farm which has bred pigs for eight generations.

Mina from San Jose, California, US, said: "I love Merlin so much, I will do anything for this pig."

"It's like having a child." "

Mina says she couldn't resist the piglet when she first laid eyes on him.

She said: "He pulled on my heartstrings."

"I was crying tears of happiness because my lifelong dream to own a pig was finally happening. "

"I was so tearful, I couldn’t see the road. It was a total dream come true. "

"Merlin was on sale because he was older and bigger than the other pigs, and plans for two homes to adopt him had already fallen through."

"But as soon as I saw a picture of him I knew he was ‘the one’." "

When Mina brought Merlin home she says he was shy at first.

"I drove him home in my car in a kennel made for a dog, and provided him with blankets and a duvet to start with in my apartment," she said. "

"I knew it would take him a while to get used to my space, because I did do a good amount of research, so I knew what to expect. "

"I very gently opened the cage, and used some food to lure him out. "

"One of the things I had to train him to do right away was not to scream bloody murder when I picked him up, because the vet explained all pigs do this and you have to teach them they can’t throw a tantrum and get their way. "

"But it was piercing at first. It took a while but I rewarded him with food to not scream and now he loves being picked up." "

Merlin soon settled in and is now extremely affectionate.

"I just wanted any pig open to human affection and cuddling and Merlin is very needy," Mina said. "

"Pigs have the cognitive abilities of a three-year-old, so they want attention and need to be mentally stimulated throughout the day. "

"He has a lot of energy and, if he’s bored, he’ll scream his head off."

"He sleeps next to me in my bed -"

he’s an amazing cuddler.

"He’ll put his snout in your face or on your arm. He’s very sweet and cuddly, especially with me."

"He follows me everywhere. If I’m on the couch, he jumps onto the couch or if I’m in the kitchen then he follows me into the kitchen."

Animal-lover Mina also owns two rats - Millie and Miracle - who Merlin likes to play with.

The pig even has a button which says 'play with rats' so he can let his owner know when he wants them out of their cage.

"He’s so smart it’s actually a problem," Mina said."

"A couple of weeks ago I trained him to open the lock on the rats cage, but he does it so much I have to confiscate it sometimes."

"He presses the ‘go outside’ button all the time, and if he wants more ice-cubes to suck on he presses ‘more’ and ‘ice’." "

Mina says owning a pig does create difficulties with her lifestyle.

"It’s definitely an obstacle sometimes. I love him so much, I’m OK with taking him everywhere and anywhere," she said. "

"But he doesn’t walk like a dog on a leash, which can be slow and annoying."

"If we want to go to dinner with friends the attention can be annoying. I get stopped all the time, although I also love meeting people and chatting about him."

"I’m constantly thinking about Merlin. "

"I always make sure to tell people, you have to ensure you have a lifestyle compatible with owning a pig, because otherwise it’s not fair to the pig. "

"You have to dedicate as much time and love and affection to them as you would a toddler." "

Merlin is a Mini Vietnamese potbelly who weighs between 30 and 35lbs and may grow as big as 80lbs in the future and 3ft long.

Merlin even has a Starbucks drive-through order - with Mina buying him a cup of ice with fruit during their outings.

Although Mina likes sharing videos of Merlin on her TikTok account, she says his welfare is the most important consideration.

"We were invited to be on America’s Got Talent, but I declined because my number one priority is for Merlin to be happy and stress free," she said. "

"Making videos in the comfort of my own home is OK because I’m not looking to exploit or put him in a stressful situation."

"I’ve always wanted a pig my whole life, for as long as I can remember and having him is a dream come true."