DTE Answers to Common Pet & Animal Queries by Nene Ajayi



Meet Your Blogger: Nene

Hi there! I’m Nene Ajayi, a full-time wife, full-time mother of 3 (yes, it’s possible to be both full-time), and a part-time chaos coordinator of fur, food bowls, and occasional furball drama. 

I live in a cozy 3-bedroom bungalow in an estate in Ijesha, Lagos—with my husband, our three kids (a boisterous 8-year-old boy named Tolu and twin girls, Dara and Demi, age 6), three dogs (yes, three), and a cat with an identity crisis named Stu.

Now, before you start thinking I’m some animal behaviorist or dog whisperer from YouTube—please relax. I’ve made more blunders than I care to count. 

Honestly if not for these blunders I don't know if I'd have been able to start this blog where I volunteer answers to common pet and animal queries.

One time, I fed my cat plantain porridge and was genuinely surprised when he looked at me like I had betrayed him. Another time, my German Shepherd, Blaze, ate half a birthday cake meant for Tolu and had a sugar rush that nearly ended in an estate-wide patrol mission. It’s real here o!

Our Home, Our Pet Paradise 

Our bungalow may be small, but it’s bursting with life. There’s a fenced yard where Blaze, our German Shepherd, does his daily patrol like he’s auditioning for K9 duties. 

Raya, the Basenji, believes she’s a queen and acts accordingly—only eating if I hand-feed her sometimes. 

And then there’s Stu… who is technically a cat, but I’m still waiting for his DNA test to come back and confirm he's not 40% uncle from the village. He sits on the outdoor fridge and watches everyone, judging all.

Our kids have grown up around animals and fur-fights. They've learned everything from compassion to boundary-setting, just by sharing space with our pets. 

Sometimes, I hear my twins whisper to Raya, “You're a good girl. Mummy’s just tired.” 

Honestly, I cry a little.

The Blog Series: 'Paws, Kids & Plantain'

First of all, I am not an expert, neither am I a blunder Bess – at least not all the time.😉

I called this blog series "Paws, Kids & Plantain" because although it focuses on answering FAQs on pets and animals, it's far from perfect nor is it “strictly science.” Sometimes, love and keen investment in your pet produces "accidental solutions " which yield better results in defiance of scientific odds and nay-says.

But I'll let you decide what to do with whatever you learn here.🥱

And to show that I'm not trying to be an expert, I’ll make sure to add links to additional sources at the end of each post. 

This space is for whatever spoken or unspoken questions you might have about your pets and animals.

If you've ever wondered:

“Can dogs eat egusi?”

“Why is my cat always watching me bathe?”

“Why should I feed a pet that just stole my suya?”

Just tell the driver to remove you from their space, right here, "ówa!" 😁

I mix up real-life stories, “Did You Know?” sections, and some very questionable advice that I usually correct after my dogs react. 

That’s the beauty of it. You’ll laugh, you’ll learn, and most importantly—you’ll stop feeling like you’re the only one winging this whole pet-parent thing. 

Feel free to comment, like, share, and subscribe if you love pets and would like to discover your fur baby's secrets that they don't want you to know. 

Read on! ❤️ 😊 

Part 001: What Should I Feed My Dogs?

Part 002: The Basics of Pet Nutrition: What Every Pet Owner Should At least Be Aware Of

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Answers To Common Questions About Pets and Animals. Part. 001 by Nene Ajayi

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  What Should I Feed My Dogs? (Besides fufu) Before I answer your question, let me tell you how this post was born. It was a calm Tuesday morning. Kids were off to school, husband gone to work, and for once, I felt like a responsible adult. I decided to treat my German Shepherd, Blaze, to something special: boiled yam and sardines. Don’t laugh yet. He sniffed it. Licked it. Looked me dead in the eye. Then turned away, slowly, like a pastor rejecting temptation. Meanwhile, Raya (my royal Basenji) took two bites, sneezed like a Victorian woman, and left. And my cat, Stu, who was not invited, jumped on the table and ate the sardines. The entire sardines. And vomited in my bathroom an hour later. So again, I ask: What should I feed my dogs? Reality Check: I Am Not an Expert. But My Mistakes Are Highly Experienced. Let’s start with a few things I thought were okay to feed dogs, until I googled in panic mode: Bread soaked in milk – Tummy disaster Leftover rice with stew – Too spicy Plant...
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Answers To The Most Common Questions About Pets and Animals. Part 002 by Nene Ajayi

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 🦴 The Basics of Pet Nutrition: What Every Pet Owner Should At Least Know Tuesday, 5:32 a.m. I woke up to the sound of slurping. Not the twins brushing their teeth. Not Tolu drinking straight from the tap again. Nope. It was Blaze–my overzealous German Shepherd–making strange noises in the backyard. I opened the kitchen door and saw him chewing grass like his life depended on it. Curious, I googled it. Turns out Blaze might be battling some dietary deficiencies… all thanks to a steady diet of either fufu or jollof rice. I had no idea. This, friends, is how I realized it was time to get serious about my pets' nutrition. Or at least lift a finger. 🥘 What Is Pet Nutrition, Really? Honestly, I used to think feeding dogs meant dumping rice and bones into a bowl and yelling, “Eat!”  But turns out, just like humans, pets need balanced diets—not just belly fillers.(Ghen ghen) 💡 Did You Know? Feeding your dog only carbs like rice can cause nutrient deficiency and cranky behavior? ...
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