Influencer Mina Alali says she has taught her pet pig to ‘speak’. She also admits that she lets her pampered pet sleep in her bed with her, with the pair cuddling up at night
Mina says she’s taught her pig Merlin how to ‘speak’ (Image: Courtesy Mina Alali / SWNS)
An influencer from California has revealed that she has taught her pet pig to ‘speak’.
Mina Alali, 25, also says she lets her pampered pet sleep in her bed, with the pair cuddling up at night.
Alali purchased mini-pig Merlin back in March 2022 and said she became ‘instantly attached’ to the animal.
The mini Vietnamese potbelly pig weighs around 35 pounds and may grow up to 3 feet long. However. Mina says she won’t stop snoozing with the swine.
“I just wanted any pig open to human affection and cuddling,” Alali told South West News Service.
“Merlin is very needy. He sleeps next to me in my bed — he’s an amazing cuddler.”
Alali even trained her pet pig to communicate with her by pressing electronic buttons on a board. He can also high-five, dance, sit and stay.
“He’s so smart it’s actually a problem,” she said.
“He presses the ‘go outside’ button all the time, and if he wants more ice cubes to suck on he presses ‘more’ and ‘ice,’”
Speaking about her pet’s button-pushing skills, Alali said it’s like the pig is “speaking” to her.
Merlin has become a big part of the influencer’s life – with him joining her on coffee runs and outings with friends. She also frequently posts about their life together on her TikTok account.
The influencer says they cuddle up at night together (Image: Courtesy Mina Alali / SWNS)
“He pulled on my heartstrings [when I first saw him],” Alali gushed.
“I was crying tears of happiness because my lifelong dream to own a pig was finally happening,.”
She does admit that owning a pet pig isn’t a walk in the park though, saying it’s “like having a child.”
“Pigs have the cognitive abilities of a 3-year-old, so they want attention and need to be mentally stimulated throughout the day,” the TikToker said.
Alali, who also owns rats Millie and Miracle, says she’s never alone in the house, claiming Merlin follows her everywhere.
Mina purchased mini-pig Merlin back in March 2022 and said she became ‘instantly attached’ (Image: Courtesy Mina Alali / SWNS)
“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,” she stated, adding that she ‘doesn’t mind’ the constant companionship.
Although the influencer loves to share videos of Merlin on her TikTok, she says she’s careful not to ‘overexpose’ her precious pig.
“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,” the content creator 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.”
He does have his own Instagram page though – with an impressive 112,000 followers. This is more than Mina herself, who has 36,500 fans on the site.
