These pampered pigs are making themselves right at home just like a puppy would - as the Covid pandemic pet boom has seen a surge in the popularity of micro pigs from an Amersham farm.

Families around the country have welcomed the tiny pigs into their homes over the last year, and the unusual pets seem to be fitting right in alongside other animals including dogs, cats, birds, and tortoises.

In fact, micro pigs can be house trained in much the same way as a dog, learning to eat from a bowl in the kitchen, go for walks on a lead - and even learning tricks like 'sit' or 'stay'.

Micro pig farm Kew Little Pigs, based in Amersham High Street, say they have seen a huge number of applicants during the pandemic, keen to give a home to miniature or micro pigs.

Founder Olivia Mikhail said: "Everyone talks about the puppy boom, but there has also been a piggy boom.

"We always make sure that our little pigs go to a good home, and people should do their research before adopting a pig.

"But we think it’s wonderful that so many people are considering micro pigs."

Among the animals from Kew Little Pigs that have found a new home during the pandemic is Mavis - who was adopted in September 2020 by social media manager Demi Moore.

Mavis now lives in Demi's home in Ipswich, Suffolk, along with African grey parrot Walter, tortoises Albert and Ernest, and hairless cats Alfred and Mabel.

Committed vegan Demi, 28, said: "I have always wanted to adopt a micro pig, but then we went to Kew Little Pigs as a birthday day out for my friend and it went from wanting to feeling like I really needed one.

"She is so loving and affectionate and follows me wherever I go.

"She is very clever so it's important to give her lots of things to do - she has a paddling pool, ball pit, a little house with straw and also a dispensing treat ball to keep her entertained.

"In the evenings she comes and sits with me on the sofa and she loves a belly rub. She fits right in and we really love her.

"I wanted to adopt her because when people meet her they will see a different side to pigs that they don't think about normally.

"They will see that pigs are no different to their dogs and cats, and maybe think about things a bit more."

And in Worcestershire, Lisa and Mark Thomas, and their two children Olivia, 13, and Oscar, seven, have welcomed micro pig Biscuit into their family.

It took the Thomas family two years to decide on a suitable pet - due to 43-year-old Lisa's severe anaphylaxis, and Olivia's fur allergy.

Lisa said: "We did a lot of research over a few years, and Kew Little Pigs were absolutely great.

"It was such a wonderful moment bringing her home. To surprise Olivia and Oscar again I went to get her while they were at school.

"When they got home they came out onto the veranda and there she was, and Olivia just feel to her knees and cried, she picked Biscuit up and they hit it off straight away.

"She has brought so much love and joy into our lives.

"She sleeps in our house at night on her dog bed, and she has blankets in it for rooting a nuzzling. At night time she knows when it’s time to settle down.

"We have a pool in the garden and she goes in for a swim. She has her own pool float that she likes to sit on too.

"All the things you get from having a dog we get from Biscuit, she gets excited when the kids come home from school, she is one of the family.

"People are amazed when they see her and we get so many questions, she is a local celebrity and I am known as the 'pig lady'.

"She is inquisitive, nosey, playful and gets the hump when she doesn’t get what she wants, what more could you ask for?"

Lisa added that Biscuit's favourite foods are bananas, grapes, apples and courgettes - but the picky piggy steers clear of broccoli.

Biscuit has also been trained to use a lead and harness, and even responds to the 'spin' command - and loves to be told she is a 'good girl'.

Elsewhere, in Blackpool, NHS A&E nurse Jane Sudds, 31, adopted little Wilbur - named after the beloved pig from popular children's novel Charlotte's Web.

Wilbur has made himself at home with Jane, her ten-year-old Pomeranian dog Moo, and six-year-old cat, Kitty.

Jane said: "He is a little monkey, he’s really loving and always wants attention, he’s also a proper foodie - strawberries and melon are his favourite.

"His favourite thing to do is to follow me around. I think he thinks he’s smaller than he is, he’s actually quite a heavy lump, but it’s so lovely."

Jane added that there is "quite a lot" of preparation to keeping a pig as a pet - and she had to complete a pig-keeping course with Kew Little Pigs before Wilbur came to live with her.

She said: "There is quite a lot to it, and you have to be sure you have some outside space because many pigs like to be outside for the majority of the time.

"Wilbur just wants to be wherever I am - but he also has his ball pit, mud pit and sandpit in his outside pen.

"He also really likes to go to the beach, though he didn’t like going in the sea at first. He just trots up and down and everyone wants to come and pet him and cuddle him.

"Adopting Wilbur has been wonderful - he's just like a dog, but more."

And mum-of-two Emma Thompson, from Hinckley, adopted little pig Olive at the start of the pandemic in April 2020 - and said the pig even joined them outside during the NHS 'Clap For Carers' evenings.

Olive has her own dog flap so that she can choose to come and go between her inside and outside space - but she loves to sit on her bed by the radiator with the Emma's sons Landon, 13, and George, 11.

She also sits for her dinner, and even helps Emma by rooting through the washing on laundry day.

Emma said: "She is so intelligent and inquisitive, we have been really lucky as she loves to be around us, and be in the house.

"She is so funny, and is quite noisy. We have a wooden floor in the house, so when she runs around it does sound a bit like Riverdance sometimes.

"She is a joy for for everyone, though particularly in the pandemic lockdown I think she caused a bit of confusion.

"People had been inside their homes for so long, and not seen anyone, and then they would go for a walk and see a pig on a lead.

"We do get a lot of questions, but to us she is just Olive, our lovely pet, and no different from having a dog or cat."

To find out more about Kew Little Pigs, visit kewlittlepigs.com.