The pet at the end of the leash is tiny, chubby and wears a little sweater as it is paraded down a Mexico City street by its owner.

But look closer: This is no poodle or chihuahua - it's a "mini-pig", the new pet craze in the capital, where growing numbers are opting for porcine companions over canines.

"We're a bit crazy in our family," says Tania Loaeza, a housewife who has owned her pint-sized pig for a month.