A woman has trained her pampered pet pig to 'speak' - and even lets him sleep in her bed. <br /><br />Mina Alali, 25, bought mini-pig Merlin in March 2022 when he was just two-and-a-half months old. <br /><br />Since then she has trained him to ‘speak’ to her by pressing electronic buttons which say 'outside', 'eat' and 'ice'.<br /><br />The clever hog can also high-five and dance and perform other tricks such as sitting and staying like a dog. <br /><br />Mina takes Merlin for walks on a lead, and even takes him to dinner with her friends.<br /><br />He feeds mainly on Mazuri pig food, leafy greens such as rocket and spinach, and loves ice cubes. <br /><br />On her Tiktok account @mina.alali Mina shares videos of the pair dancing together, eating meals, and taking orders from Starbucks Drive-Thru. <br /><br />Influencer Mina got Merlin - now one - from California Mini Pigs in Igo, Northern California, US, a farm which has bred pigs for eight generations.<br /><br />Mina from San Jose, California, US, said: "I love Merlin so much, I will do anything for this pig.<br /><br />"It's like having a child." <br /><br />Mina says she couldn't resist the piglet when she first laid eyes on him. <br /><br />She said: “He pulled on my heartstrings.<br /><br />“I was crying tears of happiness because my lifelong dream to own a pig was finally happening. <br /><br />"I was so tearful, I couldn’t see the road. It was a total dream come true. <br /><br />“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.<br /><br />“But as soon as I saw a picture of him I knew he was ‘the one’." <br /><br />When Mina brought Merlin home she says he was shy at first. <br /><br />“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. <br /><br />“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. <br /><br />“I very gently opened the cage, and used some food to lure him out. <br /><br />“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. <br /><br />"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." <br /><br />Merlin soon settled in and is now extremely affectionate.<br /><br />“I just wanted any pig open to human affection and cuddling and Merlin is very needy," Mina said. <br /><br />“Pigs have the cognitive abilities of a three-year-old, so they want attention and need to be mentally stimulated throughout the day. <br /><br />"He has a lot of energy and, if he’s bored, he’ll scream his head off.<br /><br />“He sleeps next to me in my bed - he’s an amazing cuddler. <br /><br />"He’ll put his snout in your face or on your arm. He’s very sweet and cuddly, especially with me.<br /><br />“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."<br /><br />Animal-lover Mina also owns two rats - Millie
