Alicia Day, 31, pictured, 'rescued' pig Jixy Pixy from slaughter in Devon and paid £400 to drive him to her flat in London

A vegan activist who 'rescued' a pig from slaughter has been slammed by animal rights campaigners after she kept it in a tiny two-bed flat.

Alicia Day, 31, who lived in Southall, west London, at the time had baths with the pig and even took it to Japanese chain Wagamama before her landlord found out.

She paid £30 to save the eight-week old animal, called Jixy Pixy, after seeing him advertised online by a farm which had wanted to sell him to another farm where he would have later been slaughtered.

Ms Day offered to take the pig instead and then spent £400 on a taxi to bring Jixy Pixy to London from Exeter, Devon.

However on Monday her landlord found out about the pig and Ms Day, who has a masters graduate in international business, had to give him over to the RSPCA.

During their time together Ms Day took Jixy Pixy on trains, allowed him to walk off the lead on busy city streets and even took him to the park like a dog.

Ms Day said: 'I can't save them all but I thought I would save one. Anything for my baby.

'I would go to the toilet and I would leave it outside and it would scream until I came back. At first when I tried to touch him he would jump back but within 30 minutes he started coming to me when I called him.'

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Animal rights campaigners slammed Ms Day for keeping eight-week old Jixy Pixy, right, in her flat. She took baths, left, with Jixy Pixy as well sharing meals at Wagamamas

Although missing her pig pal now he's gone with the RSPCA, Ms Day said: 'The sadness I am going through or the sadness the pig is going through at losing me is better than him being slaughtered'

The pair also ventured out onto the tube and Ms Day would walk Jixy Pixy in Ealing Broadway on a lead to the astonishment of onlookers.

She said: 'He is even easier to walk than a dog. We would be at the shopping centre in the open air and I would sit there, relax and have a cup of tea.

'It was pretty crazy because there was constantly a crowd around the pig and kids loved it.

'People were asking me questions and taking pictures and phoning friends to say there is a pig in Ealing.

Ms Day paid £400 to transport Jixy Pixy, left, from Devon to London after she saved him from being slaughtered. She would take the pig on the tube, right, and for walks with her

'That's when I got the idea that maybe this will highlight that pigs are not just food.

'Some people told me point blank they are becoming a vegetarian after meeting my pig.'

Ms Day, who is originally from New York, said she now wants to explore animal rights activism.

The former carer stopped eating meat aged 12 before becoming a vegan this year.

She explained: 'Since I was a child I thought pigs were really cute. I guess I realised that I'm an adult now and I don't have to ask my parents permission - I can basically do what I want.'

When the RSPCA arrived to take Jixy Pixy, pictured sleeping, away Ms Day said he 'started screaming and trying to run away - he didn't want to go'

Ms Day said that Jixy Pixy's favourite things to do were sitting on her lap and taking baths.

But the relationship ended abruptly when the landlord told Alicia to leave the flat on November 4 - a week after she got the pig. It is thought he may have seen her social media posts detailing Jixy Pixy's life in London.

She decided to give the pig to the RSPCA - but not before another trip to Wagamama.

She said: 'I thought I would let the pig have one more nice meal at Wagamama and we sat in the outdoor seating.

'We shared the Tofu Pad Thai - he always bullies me into giving him half the food.'

Although the pair grew close, on Monday Ms Day's landlord discovered she had a pet pig and told her they were barred from the flat so she had to give Jixy Pixy to the RSPCA

When the RSPCA arrived to take Jixy Pixy away, Ms Day said he 'started screaming and trying to run away - he didn't want to go.'

Ms Day is now living in a hotel and is being supported financially by her sister in California, but she has no regrets about bringing the pig home.

She said: 'The sadness I am going through or the sadness the pig is going through at losing me is better than him being slaughtered.

'I am not going to buy more pigs because it will cause more problems with the RSPCA, which was not my intention.'

Ms Day hopes to teach people that pigs are not 'dirty disgusting animals' and that they can be affectionate and emotional.

Jixy Pixy is now being taken to a sanctuary in Kent and Ms Day said she hopes her efforts inspire people to eat less meat.

She said: 'Even if people eat one less meal with meat then it will make a difference.'

Ms Day hopes to teach people pigs are not 'dirty disgusting animals'. Jixy Pixy, pictured while still with Ms Day, is now going to a sanctuary in Kent

However animal experts have said Ms Day's actions showed a shocking lack of judgement.

In April this year Ms Day bought a chameleon which she named Daddy from a pet store in New York City.

In one post on her Instagram page it shows the chameleon pictured beside a bottle of coconut body scrub with what appears to also be slathered over it.

Ms Day added: 'When I was in the bath I put him in a plastic container and it sat next to me in the bath. I bathed it every day.

'It really liked the treatments and when it was with me it was really relaxed.'

However she said: 'I didn't check online before using the exfoliating body wash.'

Ms Day who used shampoo and exfoliator on the chameleon said when she read comments on her post she stopped using the products.

Ian Woodhurst, farming campaigns manager at World Animal Protection, said: 'Pigs have complex needs and should not be kept in the home.

'Pigs require a specific diet, need to be kept apart from other animals and be able to express natural behaviours such as rooting and foraging in earth.

'They need a large space, minimum area of 36 square meters, and access to an outdoor wallow and shelter from the sun.

'In addition pigs require a license if being moved from the home to the vet for example and are illegal to transport in cars.'

The masters graduate said the pig, left and right, was 'even easier to walk than a dog' when they ventured out and would always get lots of attention

The RSPCA also criticised Ms Day for keeping a pig in a flat, with a spokesman for the animal charity saying: 'We would advise anyone thinking of keeping a pig to consider whether they have the time, resources, commitment, knowledge and facilities to care for them.

'Pigs require lots of land and specialist facilities and the average life span is between five and 10 years, although some can live up to 25 years.

'We have concerns about the welfare of pigs when they're kept as pets, due to how difficult it can be to meet their needs.

'Pet pigs have specific needs and, like farmed pigs, there are strict laws concerning their diet, identification and movement as well as licences needed to keep them. It can be challenging to look after them properly.'

He added: 'We were called by the owner for some help regarding this pig on Monday.

'We collected the pig, with the owner's consent, from an address in Ealing and he has now been moved under licence to more suitable accommodation prior to finding a permanent countryside home.'