Miniature dogs that fit in your handbag have been popular 1 a long time but now there’s a new must-have mini animal; the micro pig. This could be the new pet for the family 2 has everything. According to breeder Jane Croft, they make fantastic pets 3 they are very low maintenance and don’t make much noise. They are easy to toilet train and once you have bonded with 4 they are very loving. In fact, with training, they can be intelligent and well-behaved pets. 5 popular belief, they are clean animals and do not smell. They need outdoor space though and regular exercise so are not ideal for families living in small flats. Miniature pigs 6 first developed for medical research in Europe before being introduced as pets in the USA in the 1980s. Since 7 the animals have been used by scientists throughout the world and are now becoming a fashionable pet in Europe. Scientists have used miniature pigs in all sorts 8 studies including organ transplantation. Miniature pigs are better for medical weight and health research than normal breeds of pigs because they don’t have the same problems large pigs do. They will make better pets too for the same reasons.