I always knew my Vietnamese pot-bellied pig was smart and special – and he has brought love, chaos and happiness into my life
We have lots of animals in our home in Sacramento, California – a dog, two chicks, a pigeon, a bearded dragon, three rats and two rescue cows. But our pig, Merlin, is special.
I had a pig obsession for a while. I remember going to visit some animal sanctuaries and getting emotional when I saw the pigs. There’s just something about them that I felt a connection to. I knew how smart they were. I remember telling myself that one day I’d have a pig.
Merlin is a mini Vietnamese pot-bellied pig. He was cute as a button when I adopted him in March 2020, when he was just two and a half months old. He loves to cuddle but he can be a bit sassy. If he doesn’t get his way he likes to unplug devices and slam doors. He likes to wear a propeller cap and go on walks; it’s like having an 180lb toddler.
We were living in an apartment when we adopted Merlin and I’m surprised we didn’t receive a noise complaint because if he was frustrated or hungry he would squeal and it was deafening. His intelligence was clear to me from day one. Pigs are considered by many to be extremely smart animals, which is why I started training him to spin, shake and high-five. He learned all those tricks within 10 minutes. As long as there are treats he’s attentive. His favourite foods are fruits – apples, watermelons and bananas (his number one).
