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Forget tiny chihuahuas peeping out of handbags à la Paris Hilton, or Taylor Swift with her adorably grumpy looking Scottish Fold cats who have become celebrities in their <br> <br> own right. <br> <br> <br> <br> When it comes to capturing my heart with a cuddly <br> <br> creature, it's the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger, 75, who's reinvented himself as the <br> <br> internet's favourite granddad with his wholesome life <br> <br> with a menagerie of animals, who has won me over.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> The jewel in the crown of his ever-growing brood of beasts is Schnelly the pig, <br> <br> who joined the family in April last year, making the star the latest in a long <br> <br> list of celebrities to realise the joys of a porky pal - along with Ariana Grande,<br> <br> Miley Cyrus and the Beckhams. <br> <br> <br> <br> I'm completely smitten with the cuteness of pet pigs.<br> <br> I lose hours scrolling through Instagram, looking <br> <br> at pictures of furry little piglets with pretty pink snouts.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> There are 255,000 Insta posts with the hashtag #petpig <br> <br> and I've probably looked at all of them. Then there's the <br> <br> 286,000 posts hashtagged #micropig and I'd hazard a guess that I've seen all of those too.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> So I'm rather excited to discover that there's a pig farm <br> <br> less than an hour from central London, where I can find out what it's really like to have a porcine pet.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> While celebrities might get away with turning up to photoshoots, TV appearances <br> <br> and fancy restaurants with all manner of furry creatures, will I get the same reception if <br> <br> I take a pig for a stroll down the high street?<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Samantha Rea from London strolling down the high street in Old Amersham with Astrid, a 16 month old micro pig<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> The pair stopped off at The Griffin, a private members club, bistro and bakery, for some refreshments after a trot down the <br> <br> high street <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Samantha Rea spent time at the Kew Little Pig Farm in Amersham, Buckinghamshire to learn how to muck out and care for pigs <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Learning how to feed hay to the pigs did make Samantha question whether it's <br> <br> easier to stick with a dog or cat as a pet <br> <br> <br> <br> I'm hoping the Kew Little Pigs Farm will help me find out.<br> <br> It specialises in miniature pigs, which pig lovers can buy or 'adopt' to visit on the farm.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Then there are the day trips. The Piggy Pet & Play package lets visitors 'pet, brush, groom, watch and play with the pigs.' The Pig Enthusiast package can include <br> <br> putting sun cream on the pigs, and the Comprehensive Guide <br> <br> to Pig Keeping teaches you everything you need to know before buying your own micro pig.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <u>Clearly I must go there!</u><br> <br> <br> <br> <i><u>And so I head to Amersham, in Buckinghamshire, where Kew Little Pigs Farm is based.</u></i><br> <br> <br> <br> When I arrive, owner Olivia Mikhail looks slightly concerned at <br> <br> the sight of my Converse trainers and cropped <br> <br> jeans, a combination that will surely result in splattered shins.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> However, Olivia has no idea just how prepared I actually am, because <br> <br> I have packed not only knee high wellies for my time on the farm, but also my designer <br> <br> heels, for my glimpse into what life's like as a pig-owning celebrity.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <strong><u>Arnold Schwarzenegger with Schnelly the pig, who joined his menagerie of pets in April last year</u></strong><br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <i><u>Ariane Grande and Pete Davidson adopted Piggy Smallz during their short-lived romance in 2018</u></i><br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Comedian John Bishop was left devastated when his rescue pig Milo passed away <br> <br> last year, describing him as the 'heartbeat' of <br> <br> the family<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Paris Hilton started the chihuahuas in handbags craze, and is also the proud owner of Princess Piglette<br> <br> <br> <br> George Clooney, Paris Hilton, Miley Cyrus, Jonathan Ross, <br> <br> Charlotte Church and even the Beckhams have all kept pigs as pets <br> <br> over the past decade or so, while more recently Ariane Grande and Pete Davidson adopted Piggy Smallz during their short-lived romance. <br> <br> <br> <br> Comedian John Bishop gave rescue pig Milo a home for more than a decade and <br> <br> was devastated when the pet passed away, saying he was the 'heartbeat' of the family.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> They're as much a celeb accessory as oversized sunglasses - which is why I've brought <br> <br> those with me too.<br> <br> <br> <br> But first things first. Before I spend an afternoon taking a petite pig for a stroll, I sit down with Olivia in the Kew Little Pigs cafe, to complete the theory <br> <br> side of the Comprehensive Guide to Pig Keeping.<br> <br> <br> <br> It turns out there is quite a lot of admin involved in owning <br> <br> a pig, alongside a rule book thicker than Harry Potter. <br> <br> <br> <br> Who knew that you needed a license to walk a pig?<br> <br> Who would imagine that you can't feed pigs your kitchen leftovers?<br> <br> It used to be common practice, but has been banned because of the <br> <br> risk of diseases such as African swine flu and foot and mouth disease that <br> <br> can be spread by consuming contaminated pork products. <br> <br> <br> <br> Who can fathom having to fill out a form to drive your <br> <br> pig from one place to another - again for disease control <br> <br> reasons? <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> After all the admin and mucking out, Samantha was delighted to move on to the fun part - cuddles with Astrid <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Samantha found that mucking out the pig pen was actually <br> <br> a lot more civilised than picking up poo on a dog walk <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <b><u>Samantha came armed with wellies for her day at the farm, but made <br> <br> sure to keep it glamorous </u></b><br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> After swapping her flimsy trainers for wellies, Samantha felt equipped to tackle her day <br> <br> on the farm <br> <br> <br> <br> And who would guess that pigs have to have their own house?<br> <br> I mean, it's only got to be about the size of shed, but it's actually a law to uphold welfare standards.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> I suppose none of this is an issue for celebrities <br> <br> who have people to do paperwork for them - not to mention acres of space - but to me <br> <br> it seems insurmountable.<br> <br> <br> <br> Olivia senses that my dreams are crushed and attempts to reassure me:<br> <br> 'It's really not that much paperwork. Look, filling <br> <br> in this form would take two minutes.' <br> <br> <br> <br> Moving on from the theory, we head outside for the practical <br> <br> part of the course. Here, in large pens, are lots of little pigs which are super <br> <br> cute, so this makes me happy.<br> <br> <br> <br> I am given a rake to claw the pig poo into a dustpan. Both the rake and the dustpan have long handles and I like <br> <br> the distance this creates. It is certainly more civilised than picking up poo in a flimsy plastic bag <br> <br> on a dog walk. <br> <br> <br> <br> Clearing away pig excrement with proper equipment which <br> <br> allows you to maintain a civilised, and sanitary, <br> <br> distance makes me wonder if - despite the paperwork - pigs might <br> <br> just trump dogs.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Samantha was worried she might attract stares <br> <br> walking Astrid through town, but nobody batted an eyelid <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <b><u>Samantha treated herself to a hot chocolate while Astrid enjoyed some pig treats </u></b><br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Samantha swapped her wellington boots for high heels to glam up to take her pet <br> <br> pig down to the town centre for lunch<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Taking a pig out for a walk is trickier than it looks, and a lot of treats are required to <br> <br> keep things on track <br> <br> <br> <br> Next, Olivia asks if I would like to feed the pigs.<br> <br> Yes of course! She hands me some hay that's stuffed inside what's basically a <br> <br> large fishnet stocking, the size of Santa's sack. The hay sticks <br> <br> out of all the holes, and it's my job to hang up the sack in the <br> <br> pig pen, so the pigs can eat from it.<br> <br> <br> <br> This sounds easy. Only it's not. 'NOT THERE! NO!<br> <br> IT'S GOT TO BE HIGHER! TIE IT ROUND THE POST! NO! NOT LIKE <br> <br> THAT! NO!'<br> <br> <br> <br> I feel like a failing contestant on The Crystal Maze, <br> <br> only this is worse because I'm now surrounded by hungry <br> <br> pigs and I cannot see a panic button.<br> <br> <br> <br> I swear there was something on Netflix where <br> <br> murdered bodies were dumped in a pig pen, to be eaten by the pigs.<br> <br> Or maybe the bodies were eaten alive. This definitely happens all the time, according <br> <br> to TV, and now I don't even know which is worse, the prospect of <br> <br> being felled by pigs eating through my ankles, or the pressure to hang the hay <br> <br> correctly.<br> <br> <br> <br> It is like my challenge on The Crystal Maze has been especially devised to amuse the inhabitants of hell.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <u><strong>I find myself grateful to make it out <br> <br> of the pig pen alive. Surely I get to do celebrity stuff now?</strong></u><br> <br> <br> <br> Celebrities' pigs are as stylish as their owners, so I've sourced designer <br> <br> outfits for my trottered chums. I'd initially looked at diamond chokers by <br> <br> Dior, because what pig wouldn't want a diamond collar?<br> <br> But apparently pigs are happier in harnesses, which fit around the body, <br> <br> not just the neck.<br> <br> <br> <br> I hunt for a harness that an A-lister might pick for their pig, and <br> <br> I am delighted to discover a pink leopard print harness with a matching lead. <br> <br> <br> <br> It is by Urban Pup, a pet fashion brand whose website I've now <br> <br> spent more time on than all the other websites in my search history.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> There's the zebra print, the cheetah print, the pink argyle; <br> <br> the florals, the tartans, and the hearts. There's the <br> <br> range inspired by Legally Blonde and the pet carrier that resembles a pink Chanel <br> <br> handbag.<br> <br> <br> <br> <b>Then there are the socks…</b><br> <br> <br> <br> I turn up at the farm with more outfits for the <br> <br> pigs than I have for myself. I guess this is what <br> <br> it's like being a pig parent: #SELFLESS<br> <br> <br> <br> I am introduced to Astrid, a 16 month old micro piglet who'll fulfill my dreams of walking a pig.<br> <br> I show Olivia all the outfits I've brought from Urban Pup and she picks out a pink tartan harness with a matching lead.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> I want to dress up all the pigs but Olivia says no. That's OK.<br> <br> There is probably some law about only one pig at a time looking this stunning.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> When Astrid and I are dressed, we head into Old Amersham.<br> <br> <br> <br> It's a pretty market town in the Chilterns with cobbled streets and quaint white buildings with beams.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <b>So how will locals feel about a pig on a lead?</b><br> <br> <br> <br> I imagine I may be sternly spoken to by a member of the Women's Institute.<br> <br> However, it turns out that Old Amersham is perfectly au fait with celebrity antics, given that Poirot, Midsomer Murders <br> <br> and Four Weddings and a Funeral have all been filmed there.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> On my pig keeping course I have learnt that pigs never poo where they eat, sleep or socialise, because they're very clean, <br> <br> so from day one, without any training, a pig will go outside <br> <br> to poo.<br> <br> <br> <br> I am surprised then, as I arrive in Old Amersham, to find that Astrid has <br> <br> done her business in her carry box. I try not to think about this, as I hold <br> <br> her lead.<br> <br> <br> <br> Our first stop is the Amersham Museum. I'm not a massive fan of walking around looking at things, but I hear the museum homes a <br> <br> Tudor dining table that visitors are welcome to sit at. It is about lunchtime, so I'm hopeful I'll be served a Tudor banquet.<br> <br> I quite fancy a tankard of wine and a bit of wild boar.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Unfortunately, Astrid does not, and so, despite <br> <br> being welcomed by museum director Briony, we leave pretty much <br> <br> as soon as we arrive.<br> <br> <br> <br> We go for a stroll instead, but I have to scatter pig <br> <br> food pellets to coax Astrid along the pavement. I guess celebrities get <br> <br> their assistants to walk ahead, trailing treats to entice the pet pigs in the <br> <br> right direction. <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Hard at work: Writer Samantha Rea tried the Comprehensive Guide to Pig Keeping, which  teaches <br> <br> you everything you need to know before buying your own micro pig<br> <br> <br> <br> However, doing it without an assistant, I find myself thinking that it's definitely <br> <br> easier to walk a dog.<br> <br> <br> <br> Celebrity life is about lounging in luxurious surroundings, so Astrid and I head to The Griffin, a <br> <br> private members club, bistro and bakery, that's pretty much the Soho House of Amersham.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> In the beamed building that dates back to the 17th century, <br> <br> there are gorgeous leather sofas and cosy cushions.<br> <br> However, I have learnt on my pig keeping course that pigs are happiest alfresco, so Astrid and I take a seat on the <br> <br> astro-turf terrace, beneath a pretty parasol that wouldn't be out of place <br> <br> in a Cotswolds shoot for Tatler.<br> <br> <br> <br> It is here, as we relax like A-listers, that Astrid and I are <br> <br> at our happiest. As I sip a coffee and eye-up a chocolate brownie <br> <br> (I'm being a celebrity, remember, I don't actually eat these <br> <br> things), Astrid puts her trotters up on the seat beside me and enjoys a few pig food pellets.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Clearly this is our natural environment, so it's probably just a matter of time before Astrid is snapped up by a celebrity to live life first class. <br> <br> <br> <br> But for now, Astrid must mooch back to the mud, and I must head home to wash pig poo off my <br> <br> wellies.<br> <br> <br> <br> I am chuffed to bits to have spent an afternoon with Astrid, but as I think it all over, on the train back to Marylebone, I know that I'll never keep a pig as a pet. <br> <br> <br> <br> Aside from all the legal red tape, my lack of space in London, and <br> <br> the trickiness of trying to take a pig for <br> <br> a walk, there's always the fear that the micro pig might turn out to be not so tiny after all. <br> <br> <br> <br> I've seen headlines about 4 ounce "teacup" pigs growing bigger than a <br> <br> bear, and frankly I find it terrifying. So I'll leave the <br> <br> pet pigs to the celebrities. <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> LondonParis Hilton<br> <br> <br> <br> Stop by my web-site: <a href="https://Pipewiki.org/wiki/index.php/How_Does_%E0%B8%94%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%81%E0%B9%84%E0%B8%A1%E0%B9%89%E0%B9%81%E0%B8%AA%E0%B8%94%E0%B8%87%E0%B8%84%E0%B8%A7%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A1%E0%B8%84%E0%B8%B4%E0%B8%94%E0%B8%96%E0%B8%B6%E0%B8%87_Work">ดอกไม้สดใหม่ทุกวัน</a>
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