Pampered pet pig spends her days snuggled on the sofa watching TV

Unlike other pigs who spend their time wallowing in mud and eating potato peelings, Penny the pampered porker spends her days watching TV and snuggling on the sofa of her home near Bristol. Her owners Hannah Kembrey and Mike Baxter got Penny, a ginger micro pig, when she was just eight-weeks-old. And ever since the spoilt swine, who is now nine months old, has really made herself at home. Penny spends her day on her cushioned bed, or on the sofa in the lounge, watching daytime TV with her other four legged pal Lady the dog.



She also likes going out for walk with Hannah and Mike, who had to apply to Department for Farming and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) for a special 'pig licence' to take her out on a lead. Not only that but Penny is proof that pigs aren't stupid like many people think – she has learnt to follow commands such as 'sit' and 'wait.' Penny also shares her home with Keeli the African grey parrot, rabbits Barney and Honey, ferrets Dexter, Lara and Khaleesi, King Snake Legless and pastel python Hugo.





"Penny is very much like a dog," said Hannah. "She has a dog bed which she sleeps on and when we are home she cuddles up on the sofa and watches television with us and especially likes The Walking Dead." But having a pig as a pet is not always straightforward. And although Penny is generally well behaved, she does have her moments. The couple have returned home to find that Penny, who usually enjoys a diet of mixed oats, maize, wholewheat pasta and bread, has pulled out all the kitchen drawers and cupboards, munching her way through the contents.


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And in a dual operation with Lady, she also managed to pull down a large bag of parrot feed on the kitchen side and scoffed it. "Generally she is pretty well behaved, says Hannah. "In the evening she gives us a little grunt and then hops on the sofa with me, Mike and Lady. She will sit there all night and snuggle up quite happily. People may think it's a bit weird having a pig as a pet and for some people it may be. But I don't regret getting her. We love her and she is part of our family."