We are absolutely thrilled to appear in Woman’s Weekly this week, in an article which shares the story of a family who brought home two of our adorable pigs!
Teaching assistant Stacey Robertshaw and her twins Elsie and Cole, 13 recently adopted Dolly and Mabel from Kew Little Pigs, and they are settling well into West Yorkshire life.
The adorable animals live in the family’s home, snuggling with them like a dog in the evenings, eating and drinking from bowls and learning new tricks.
Dolly and Mabel also have a special outdoor area so that they can snuffle and enjoy the sunshine, but the majority of their time is spent indoors with their new loving family.
Speaking about the pets, Stacey said: “I can’t believe how easy they are to look after, and they were house trained in two days. When they want to go to the toilet they just stand by the door asking to be let out with an adorable snort.
“I have friends that have adopted puppies and it takes months to toilet train them, the pigs have been a completely different story.
“They are so affectionate, loving and have so much character! They both love attention and when they are not in their pen or indoors they enjoy playing in the garden with the kids. They learn so quickly and love a treat, especially a banana! I find myself walking around the supermarket picking out fruit for them to try, they definitely have a sweet tooth.”
Stacey and the kids adopted the pigs from the UK’s leading miniature pig breeder Kew Little Pigs, which is based in Buckinghamshire. The mum came up with the idea after following the farm on Instagram and falling in love with the cute photos and videos of life with a pig.
She added: ” Having a dog worried me, as I didn’t really want to be having to go out walking them at night. The kids were desperate for a pet, so when I saw the miniature pigs it felt like the perfect choice.
“Once we had picked Dolly and Mabel as piglets we were able to watch them on a live feed direct to the farm, until they were ready to leave their mum. It became quite addictive, we kept saying let’s just check and see what the pigs are up to, it was so lovely to watch them grow.
In order to adopt from Kew Little Pigs, Stacey, Elsie and Cole had to take a pig keeping course run by the farm, and demonstrate that they had created an appropriate space for their new pets.
Olivia Mikhail, owner of Kew Little Pigs, which is based in Amersham, Bucks, said: “It is so nice to see Dolly and Mabel in their happy home in West Yorkshire. Pigs really do make the perfect pets and are cheaper to keep than a dog. They are seen as an unusual choice, so it is so great when people like Stacey tell their story about the joys of pig keeping.”
“I joined the team in September of 2021 as a Farm Hand. This was my first proper job and the experience was very insightful as working with animals there is never a dull moment. I have always loved animals and have had many different animals growing up such as guinea pigs, rabbits, dogs and horses so I knew the animal industry was a career I would like to be involved in. Since joining Kew Little Pigs Farm I have had the opportunity to care for the animals and share my knowledge with all the customers that have visited the farm. I was promoted to Head Farm Hand in January 2023.
I look forward to my journey here at Kew Little Pigs Farm and hope to see you on the farm soon!”
