Pet therapy: Kenya’s millennial paw-parents and their pampered fur babies

Meet Ruby; a bubbly, energetic, female Japanese Spitz.

She’s barely four but when she steps out, she commands more attention than an Insta Model. And you’d understand why when you meet her.

She’s quite a stunner with her fluffy tail and naturally well-trimmed fur. When she stands to dance or greet someone, you’ve got to like her. She is a ball of energy.

“I got Ruby from a neighbour when she was just a month old back in 2017,” says Ms Naomi Stella, Ruby’s host.

Then there’s six-year-old Jay, a dark-furred Rottweiler, with dark brown hues here and there.

He is quite calm, observant and intelligent. He’s capable of observing people’s moods and adjusting his reaction towards them.

He takes his time before getting cosy around strangers. But his introverted demeanour is not to be confused with weakness.

He barely makes noise but when he does, he earns his respect. He is fearless, especially when challenged.

He seems to dislike eye contact, because according to his host, Mr Steve Roberts, “He perceives it as a challenge to show his canines.”

Adopting pets during pandemic

Jay’s companion, Tiff, is a five-year-old German Shepherd.

As the ‘lady of the house’, she complements Jay’s temperament perfectly.

She is interactive, slightly more social and friendly, cute and equally intelligent. Once in a while, she lets strangers pet her, but within reasonable boundaries.

Jay and Tiff have a four-month-old daughter named Meghan. She has her father’s fur, mother’s head shape and a mix of both their temperaments. She is, however, energetic, hyperactive and visibly stubborn. What a family!

Ms Stella, Ruby’s host, is a 28-year-old digital marketing consultant. She adopted her when she was 25 and has been caring for her ever since. Jay, Tiff and Meghan belong to Mr Roberts, a 25-year-old entrepreneur.

“I adopted Jay from a friend who had to move but couldn’t move with him,” says Mr Roberts. Later on, he got Tiff from another friend and after a while, they sired Meghan.

But why would they, or anyone else, be interested in keeping dogs as pets. Ordinarily, in many Kenyan homes, pets are found within large family set-ups.

In the recent past, however, millennials have been changing the narrative. In 2018, Forbes reported that 35 per cent of pet owners were millennials, surpassing their older counterparts, Baby Boomers, as the generation that makes up the highest number of pet owners.

In August 2020, yet another report was published by YPulse, a research agency that focuses on millennials and Gen Zs.

This time round, 76 per cent of millennials surveyed were reported to be pet owners. Interestingly, 7 per cent of millennial pet owners adopted a pet during the Covid season.

Pet therapy

Clearly, young people are increasingly gaining interest in pets, with dogs being the most liked fur babies, followed by cats.

Here in Kenya, that narrative holds water as millennials not only adopt pets but also implement western ways of caring for pets.

It’s been said that being a pet abroad is a lucrative deal, and the millennials in Kenya are creating a similarly friendly environment for pets to thrive. But why?

“I grew up around pets. Our home always had cats and dogs, so I got accustomed to their presence.

In 2017, however, when I got Ruby, I felt like it was the right time. The year was particularly low for me.

I had just completed my university studies and the struggles that come with adult life compelled me to seek a fur companion.

Dogs make great companions to their human hosts,” explains Ms Stella. She was, however, determined to change the way she interacted with the dog.

Coping with grief

After research, she decided that a small dog would be suitable because of their lower maintenance costs.

At the time, a family friend kept a female Japanese Spitz, who sired Ruby. Stella adopted Ruby when she was just a month old and began her paw-parenting journey.

As for Mr Roberts, he adopted his first fur baby, a German Shepherd, immediately after high school.

Like Ms Stella, he grew up around pets. Later on, as a young adult, most people in his circle of friends began keeping dogs.

They would take them for walks and groom them. He deemed the walks a great way to socialise and exercise at the same time. Therefore, when a friend offered him the German Shepherd as a gift, he couldn’t resist it.

The pet joined several other dogs around their home but with the newcomer, Mr Roberts vowed to take better care of him through grooming healthcare, regular walks and proper diet. These are the same vows Ms Stella made when she first brought Ruby home.

In a sad twist, however, all the family dogs at Mr Roberts’s home got sick. “A disease outbreak affected all of them, including my pet.

Within four days, all of them passed on. I remember vividly when my first pet died. I was in class at college, when I received the news from my sister.

I just felt sick. I got dizzy and couldn’t bear being in class anymore. It was heart-breaking. Seeing their empty kennels was even more torturous. Their absence had a major effect on me,” he recalls.

He later researched about their symptoms and realised that they had contracted the parvo virus, a deadly infection that affects dogs.

Upkeep bills

A few years back, Ms Stella too went through a harrowing health experience with Ruby.

“When she was younger, she got very sick and lost most her fur and weight. She was so weak, her walking style changed to a crooked one. I honestly thought she was going to pass on,” recalls Ms Stella, admitting that was one of her saddest moments as a paw-parent. However, seeing her regain her health was a moment to treasure.

After the health challenges, these two have learnt to invest in proper healthcare for their fur babies and even admit that health bills make up the bigger chunk of their pets’ budget.

“At one point I spent Sh9,000 on medical bills. Tiff was unwell and she was admitted at a vet clinic. She was placed on a bed with a drip,” says Mr Roberts. Due to the fear of losing another pet, he was willing to spend anything on proper medical attention.

Medical bills are just one of the things they spend on, however. The pets have dietary needs, grooming expenses, occasional treats and training fees.

Ruby, for instance, is very choosy when it comes to meals. She is not an ordinary dog that eats whatever is placed on her plate.

“In the beginning I tried to feed her home-cooked dog food but she couldn’t have it. Then I had to buy readily cooked dog food from supermarkets. That was an addition to my budget. Fortunately, she’s a small dog and doesn’t eat much,” explains Ms Stella.

On grooming, Ruby is blessed with naturally trimmed fur, which is fluffy at the tail and on the neck. She doesn’t need haircuts. Her thick fur at the tail and neck, however, means she is prone to parasites and needs to be cleaned regularly with dog shampoo, another addition to her budget.

Every year, during her birthday, Ms Stella throws a small celebration for her. She (Ruby) gets to eat all her favourite foods.

Gift that keeps giving

Jay, Tiff and Meghan cost a little more to maintain because, first, they’re big dogs and second, they’re a family of three.

It’s just like taking care of a big family. They eat more and their health bills are higher. Tiff has thick fur and sheds seasonally and thus needs regular grooming. They also get new collars from time to time, just like children get new Christmas clothes.

Asked whether the investments in their pets are worth it, the answer is a big YES from both Ms Stella and Ms Roberts.

“Ruby is extremely loyal and she’ll do anything to make me happy. When I step out of the house for a while then come back, her vibrant reception is always heart-warming. She receives me with so much excitement, you’d think I’ve been away for ages,” says Ms Stella.

Besides, there’s never a dull moment with Ruby, unless she’s unwell. Her energetic and active temperament leave no room for melancholy.

Mr Roberts describes his pets as his friends who help him to stay sane. And it’s not just the regular walks they take, hunting rabbits and enjoying nature.

“When I’m down, emotionally, I’ll just take time to play with the dogs. Sometimes we play ‘throw and catch’, and eventually, I feel lighter and at ease,” he explains.

In addition, they’ve taught him so much about parenting, even though he doesn’t have children yet.

A brief interaction with his dogs reveals just how much effort he’s put in disciplining them. He admits that by training and caring for them, he has acquired a great sense of responsibility.

Watching them transform into responsible dogs that can even babysit when necessary is a rewarding experience.

He is also more informed about animal welfare and often takes time to educate people around him on how animals should be treated.

Know your pet’s temperament

For those who want to own pets, both Ms Stella and Ms Roberts advise people to research extensively. “Understand the dog’s temperament, its needs and what purpose its original breed served initially,” says Mr Roberts.

Ruby, for instance, comes from a breed of dogs that were initially perceived as guard dogs, which hunted from time to time.

This explains why she’s so energetic and attentive. As Ms Stella observes, Ruby needs a non-stop outlet for that energy. She is always alert and barks at everyone and everything. “At one point I had to get a muzzle to keep her quiet at night. She was barking excessively and it was hard to sleep,” she recalls.

The hunting spirit in her also compels her to chase people and other animals. “I remember we had a cat before I brought Ruby home. Every time Ruby saw the cat, she would chase and dominate it until it couldn’t take the bullying anymore. It ran away,” says Ms Stella.

Simply put, Ruby’s temperament makes it hard for her to co-exist with other animals. She is also stubborn and extroverted.

These traits make her the perfect companion for an active person who enjoys outdoor walks. She would, however, struggle to adapt to the muted life of an introvert.

Mr Robert’s dogs display a variety of temperaments. Jay’s breed of Rottweilers are believed to originate from a breed called Drover Dogs, whose main purpose was to drive cattle to the market in native Germany.

They later served in the military and have been used to pull carts. These past duties shape their attributes, including obedience, devotion, alertness and sense of responsibility.

Mr Roberts goes on to say that even when a breed’s duties change, the temperament remains the same.

Researching on a dog’s history helps pet owners know what to expect and how to handle the pet.

Research also helps in establishing whether one’s character and family set-up is compatible with the particular breed.

Overall, adopting a pet is becoming an acceptable way of life for millennials. So much so that in some developed countries, pets are almost an alternative for young couples or individuals who’re not yet ready to sire human children.

In medicine, animal-assisted therapies are catching on, hence proving the health benefits of having an animal in your life.

Pets have been used to assist patients with mental health problems or disorders like autism deal with their symptoms.

However, aspiring pet parents ought to understand that pets only reciprocate the amount of love they’re given.