Ever wondered what happened to the little black pig that “hogged” all the attention a few months back when it was for sale in Valletta? Such was his "fame" that he even made it to the front page of The Times.

Well this is one little piggy that came home – so to say. Because some one bought the pink-snouted, attention-seeker worth €500.

This might not be a traditional Christmas talem granted – but the Christmas message is there for all... And this is Sabrina Marie’s story - the proud owner, albeit for a few days, of a pot bellied pig:

To start with, I am a very spontaneous person; most consider me "weird". For example I always wanted to own a pig as a pet. When I heard of this pig for sale in Valletta... without second thoughts I rushed to Valletta to find this small piglet, kept in a small bird cage.

There and then I gave the seller (a florist) the deposit, arranged for delivery and agreed with him that I would take the piglet to be examined by a vet, and to confirm that it will remain a small size as advertised, before giving him the rest of the money.

When I asked the florist to give me more details about the piglet all he said was that is it a miniature Vietnamese pot bellied pig, it will remain almost as small as it is, and that it was four months old. I was very doubtful about what he said, but i went ahead anyways. When I asked him about what permits I would need in order to keep the pig, he said i didn’t need any.

I honestly didn't have the heart to leave him there, trapped in a tiny bird cage, with hundreds of people flocking to see him from all over Malta, touching him, taking pictures of him, I couldn't leave him there. So I took him home!

The florist delivered the pig to our doorstep in the cage. I didn’t rush into things, so I sat next to his cage, so he could get used to me. A few hours later, I decided to let him loose. He was a bit scared at first, but by the end of the day he came out and started to get used to his surroundings. Just like a puppy he sniffed the floor, ate, wagged his tail and even rolled over for a tummy tickle. He wasn't litter-trained yet, so you could immagine the mess he made, and believe me, pig's urine is anything but pleasant!! I soon started contacting all the vets in Malta, to my disappointment from the list of 22 vets that i called, only one of them knew about the breed and asked me to take the pig over, so that he could examine him.

As days passed i continued my research, and the piglet continued growing bigger and BIGGER. Here are a few facts one needs to keep in mind before adopting a 'miniature' pig into his home:

I forgot to mention that the seller didn't have any certificates whatsoever, so that made the situation even more difficult and doubtful! Off to the vet i went! I was given some very useful opinions, which took a while to sink in. The vet confirmed that the pig will grow to be a large one, and none of us had the proof that this pig wasn't a mixed breed. This will make it grow even bigger, and weigh much more than 65kg when fully grown. Off home I went to think about what I should do next.

I had named the piglet Stitch, I thought it suited a tiny, cute thing such as him. All Stitch wanted to do is play ball, fetch, cuddle, eat and more play! At night he used to wait for me next to his blanket so that I could go cuddle him up to sleep. As soon as i would move my hands to let him go and put him back to bed he would wake up and come running back to me arms so that I could cuddle him longer. Stitch was a very intelligent pig, during the few days I kept him he had already learnt some tricks such as learning how to walk beside me, I would say the word stop, and he would stop walking. I would say the word STITCH and he would come running back towards me. He had also started getting considerably bigger! After a few days I had to make a decision and contact the seller. Most of you are going to probably think of me as a cruel person, but what I did, I did for him. He deserved a large place, possibly a small farm, a carer that would take care of him 24 hours a day. So I decided to give Stitch back to the seller. The day I sent him back, was the saddest day of my life. I informed the seller about everything, and although he kept on insisting the pig would remain as small as a pug, and this is what he and other sellers are still selling them as. The real truth is they do not.

I just wanted to make sure one considers all the above before buying a 'miniature pig' this Christmas. I know of many pet shops selling these types of pigs, all advertising them, as remaining small. THEY DO NOT. They require a lot of care and responsibility. Please also do your research wisely, a pet pig is a complex exotic pet. To this day i still get comments such as "minn fejn xtrajtu? ha nixtri wiehed lit tifla? " A pig is cute when small, but will grow HUGE. Plus here in Malta we do not have much knowledge yet about them. So i suggest one to wait and think it through very, very wisely! After all a pig is still a farm animal.

Piggly wiggly fun facts

• MINIATURE PIGS DO NOT EXIST! Breeders mate two small piglets at a few months old. The seller then shows the buyer the parent pigs (which are still a few months old) therefore are still small, making the buyer believe that they actually remain that small. The truth is they don't! They are called MINIATURE pot bellied pigs because they are smaller than the farm pig, but still grow HUGE!
• Miniature pigs are extremely intelligent and clean
  Miniature pigs grow into a minimum of 65kg in weight.
• Miniature pigs do not like being lifted up from the ground, if one tries to the pig will scream. The scream will measure up to a 115 decibels or even more, it will even bite. The scream of a jet engine taking off measures 113 decibels, so you can immagine how loud the pig's scream is!
• Pot-bellied pigs are prone to skin disorders and disease, including Mange, sunburn, Seborrhea and frostbite. Respiratory disease such as pneumonia and Atrophic Rhinitis are not uncommon. Other health ailments can include hernia, lameness and deformed snout.
• Pigs grow very sharp teeth; male pigs will grow tusks which can be extremely dangerous.
• Pot-bellied pigs mature when they are six to seven months old. Sows go into heat every 21 days but it only lasts three days. Gestation is approximately 114 days. Litters range much the same as domestic pigs – 4 to 12 piglets. Spaying or neutering are recommended as males will start secreting a very foul discharge when in heat and females will get very territorial and agressive.
• Because of their keen sense of smell, food should be kept out of reach. Keep your refrigerator secure. Superior intelligence allows these animals to learn how to open the door. They love food and will do anything they can to obtain a snack.
• Pigs do not sweat. When one is considering of adopting a pet pig, one should also consider a mud patch for the pig to wallow in and cool down in high temperatures.
• When the pigs are bored, they will get very destructive. This includes tearing up electrical wiring, wooden legs from stools and tables, beds, cushions, basically everything!
• Pigs should be obtained from conscientious, reputable breeders, and will need a good quality pig food, regular vaccinations, hoof and tusk trims, and will also need to be spayed or neutered. Regular access to the outdoors for exercise is a necessity as well.
• Pigs also "root," or dig/explore with their snouts - and in doing so may overturn items in the house, including wastebaskets, and can disrupt the landscaping. This is instinctual, so an area of soft dirt should be provided in the yard so they can fulfill their need to root.