Mina Alali and her pet pig Merlin.Photo: CourtesyMina Alali watched a pig on TikTok and told a coworker, “I need a pig!“Two days later, she adopted Merlin, a mini Vietnamese potbellied pig, on March 30, 2022.“I’ve always wanted a pig, for as long as I can remember,” Alali tells PEOPLE. “I thought they were the cutest things ever.“The 26-year-old content creator documents her adventures with Merlin on herTikTokand onMerlin’s own Instagram account, where fans watch him gobble up cups of ice with dragon fruit from Starbucks, or lettuce wraps from In-N-Out.“Merlin loves a treat,” Alali says.Merlin the pig enjoys an icy treat.CourtesyShe takes her now 1-year-old, potty-trained pig on twice-daily walks around San Jose. At home, the two spend hours snuggling and sleeping together in the same bed.“I love how affectionate and cuddly he is,” Alali says. “He’s an amazing cuddler.“Merlin weighed about 15 lbs. when Alali adopted him, and he’s nearly tripled in weight since. The little guy’s parents topped out at 80 lbs., which means he’s not done growing — and for Alali, means plans to move from her apartment into a house sooner than later.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.“He’s definitely going to grow more,” she says. “He’s going to need a backyard soon.“The content creator loves that her pet pal brings happiness to followers around the world.“We get sarcastic trolls and people commenting bacon emojis, and people come to Merlin’s defense. People from all over the world love and defend Merlin, some animal they’ve never met before but they’ve grown such an attachment to,” she says. “It just feels so good to make content that I know is making people smile and laugh. It’s wholesome and it’s not negative and it’s putting something positive out there in the world.“Alali and Merlin.CourtesyAlali does caution people who see her videos and think about getting a pig themselves that the animals are a lot of work, a big commitment and not right for everyone.“I wouldn’t have gotten him if I worked a 9 to 5 or was in school. I knew I could dedicate all that time and attention and love to him. It’s a huge responsibility — it’s like having a child,” she says. “It’s more demanding than a dog. And they are tougher to train because they’re so smart … It’s incredible, but it’s not a walk in the park.“That’s not to say it’s not fun to have Merlin around, too.“He loves to be picked up and twirled around,” Alali says. “I’m constantly training and teaching him new things.”
Mina Alali and her pet pig Merlin.Photo: Courtesy
Mina Alali watched a pig on TikTok and told a coworker, “I need a pig!“Two days later, she adopted Merlin, a mini Vietnamese potbellied pig, on March 30, 2022.“I’ve always wanted a pig, for as long as I can remember,” Alali tells PEOPLE. “I thought they were the cutest things ever.“The 26-year-old content creator documents her adventures with Merlin on herTikTokand onMerlin’s own Instagram account, where fans watch him gobble up cups of ice with dragon fruit from Starbucks, or lettuce wraps from In-N-Out.“Merlin loves a treat,” Alali says.Merlin the pig enjoys an icy treat.CourtesyShe takes her now 1-year-old, potty-trained pig on twice-daily walks around San Jose. At home, the two spend hours snuggling and sleeping together in the same bed.“I love how affectionate and cuddly he is,” Alali says. “He’s an amazing cuddler.“Merlin weighed about 15 lbs. when Alali adopted him, and he’s nearly tripled in weight since. The little guy’s parents topped out at 80 lbs., which means he’s not done growing — and for Alali, means plans to move from her apartment into a house sooner than later.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.“He’s definitely going to grow more,” she says. “He’s going to need a backyard soon.“The content creator loves that her pet pal brings happiness to followers around the world.“We get sarcastic trolls and people commenting bacon emojis, and people come to Merlin’s defense. People from all over the world love and defend Merlin, some animal they’ve never met before but they’ve grown such an attachment to,” she says. “It just feels so good to make content that I know is making people smile and laugh. It’s wholesome and it’s not negative and it’s putting something positive out there in the world.“Alali and Merlin.CourtesyAlali does caution people who see her videos and think about getting a pig themselves that the animals are a lot of work, a big commitment and not right for everyone.“I wouldn’t have gotten him if I worked a 9 to 5 or was in school. I knew I could dedicate all that time and attention and love to him. It’s a huge responsibility — it’s like having a child,” she says. “It’s more demanding than a dog. And they are tougher to train because they’re so smart … It’s incredible, but it’s not a walk in the park.“That’s not to say it’s not fun to have Merlin around, too.“He loves to be picked up and twirled around,” Alali says. “I’m constantly training and teaching him new things.”
Mina Alali watched a pig on TikTok and told a coworker, “I need a pig!”
Two days later, she adopted Merlin, a mini Vietnamese potbellied pig, on March 30, 2022.
“I’ve always wanted a pig, for as long as I can remember,” Alali tells PEOPLE. “I thought they were the cutest things ever.”
The 26-year-old content creator documents her adventures with Merlin on herTikTokand onMerlin’s own Instagram account, where fans watch him gobble up cups of ice with dragon fruit from Starbucks, or lettuce wraps from In-N-Out.
“Merlin loves a treat,” Alali says.
Merlin the pig enjoys an icy treat.Courtesy
She takes her now 1-year-old, potty-trained pig on twice-daily walks around San Jose. At home, the two spend hours snuggling and sleeping together in the same bed.
“I love how affectionate and cuddly he is,” Alali says. “He’s an amazing cuddler.”
Merlin weighed about 15 lbs. when Alali adopted him, and he’s nearly tripled in weight since. The little guy’s parents topped out at 80 lbs., which means he’s not done growing — and for Alali, means plans to move from her apartment into a house sooner than later.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
“He’s definitely going to grow more,” she says. “He’s going to need a backyard soon.”
The content creator loves that her pet pal brings happiness to followers around the world.
“We get sarcastic trolls and people commenting bacon emojis, and people come to Merlin’s defense. People from all over the world love and defend Merlin, some animal they’ve never met before but they’ve grown such an attachment to,” she says. “It just feels so good to make content that I know is making people smile and laugh. It’s wholesome and it’s not negative and it’s putting something positive out there in the world.”
Alali and Merlin.Courtesy
Alali does caution people who see her videos and think about getting a pig themselves that the animals are a lot of work, a big commitment and not right for everyone.
“I wouldn’t have gotten him if I worked a 9 to 5 or was in school. I knew I could dedicate all that time and attention and love to him. It’s a huge responsibility — it’s like having a child,” she says. “It’s more demanding than a dog. And they are tougher to train because they’re so smart … It’s incredible, but it’s not a walk in the park.”
That’s not to say it’s not fun to have Merlin around, too.
“He loves to be picked up and twirled around,” Alali says. “I’m constantly training and teaching him new things.”
source: people.com
