THE Lawton family's much-loved pet likes walkies, a stroke, snuggling up on the sofa and occasionally gets told off for chewing a shoe.

But Bounty is not a dog or a cat – he is a 10-month-old pot-bellied pig who was taken in by the animal-loving Lawton family after being rejected by his mother.

Michelle Lawton, aged 15, was one of several Birches Head High School pupils asked to foster the abandoned litter while on work experience at Fine Feathers Farm in Endon. The arrangement was supposed to be temporary and act as good experience for Michelle, who has ambitions to work with animals.

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Watch video of Bounty at home

But Bounty soon won the hearts of mum Audrey, dad Dave, a 51-year-old joiner, and 20-year-old brother Matthew, and found a permanent home with the family from Northwood.

Now a 13-stone porker, Bounty dominates the living room, where he sleeps in a sleeping bag, requires feeds every three hours and demands lots of attention.

But, despite the funny looks they attract when fellow walkers see a pig on the end of their lead instead of a dog, the Lawtons say they wouldn't have it any other way.

Andrey, a 41-year-old school dinner lady, said: "We are a family of animal lovers and will help an animal in trouble, so I immediately said yes to Michelle bringing Bounty home.

"I didn't tell my husband, though. But he laughed and rolled his eyes when he came home and saw a pig sitting on the settee.

"At first it was like having a baby because Bounty had to be fed every two hours, including through the night, and she wouldn't drink from a bottle, only a saucer, so it ended up going everywhere.

"But now we've weaned him, though the pig pellets don't agree with him, and we spend about £25 a week on his fresh fruit and veg – he will do anything for a grape.

"He was already toilet trained. He knocks his head on the door if he wants to go out, and goes to the kitchen to indicate he's hungry."

She added: "We fell in love with his personality straight away. He just became a member of the family. He's lovely, very protective like a guard pig and barks at the door if someone new knocks.

"He's very affectionate and likes it when Michelle lies with him, giving him strokes and kisses, and he licks your face.

"When you come home he makes a welcoming noise that says he's happy to see you.

"He's better than a dog because he's quite content just sitting with you. He's not that energetic and a great companion.

"The house has never been as full of laughter as when Bounty is here; he's a real character.

"The only downsides are he gets grumpy if he's ignored and will rip newspapers or his bed up, and he eats too often, so we are trying to stagger his feeds so we don't have to be here every three hours.

"If he gets any bigger or can't eat less often we may have to give him up, but until then we are just enjoying having Bounty."

The Lawtons had to get special permission from the Government's Department For Environment, Food And Rural Affairs to keep Bounty, as all livestock owners must have a licence.

Michelle added: "We only fostered Bounty at first, but then we fell in love with him and didn't want him to leave.

"He's great fun and I like taking him for walks, though sometimes we stop cars because the drivers want a look.

"Pigs are a lot of work and I wouldn't advise people to get one if they can't devote the time and attention to them.

"But Bounty is a great pet and I can't imagine the house without him now."