I love Sundays

  🔍“Ew, What’s That?!” Checking Pets for Ticks, Bites, and Stings Without Losing Your Mind (Or Lunch) It all started one Thursday afternoon when Blaze wouldn't stop scratching his left ear like it was hiding treasure.  Raya, my Basenji, paced anxiously beside him, barking at the air.  Stu the cat sat on the windowsill watching them, utterly unbothered, like she knew exactly what was wrong and simply refused to help. I was elbow-deep in a sink full of fish guts (don’t ask), trying to prep dinner when I noticed a lump the size of a garri grain behind Blaze’s ear. Cue panic. Cue gloves. Cue magnifying glass, flashlight, and a muttered prayer. My husband was still stuck in traffic. The kids were at Grandma's. It was just me, a suspicious bump, and two dramatic dogs. “Okay, Blaze,” I said, holding his ear like it was a crime scene. “Let’s see what kind of evil this is.” I saw…legs. Tiny, spidery, moving legs. I screamed. Blaze yawned. Raya started barking in Yoruba. It was a ...

  🐾 Yes, Pets Need Fats – But Only the Right Kind, in the Right Amount There was a time I believed leftovers were love. In our house, no food went to waste – especially not rice with stew, or yam soaked in palm oil. Our dog back then, Zero, would lick up a plate of eba and egusi like it was gourmet. We were sure we were doing good – feeding him richly, like family. Until one Sunday evening, he couldn’t stand. His belly looked swollen like soaked garri. His eyes were teary, and he kept pacing like something was eating him from the inside. The vet looked at us and said, “Too much fat. Bad fat. His body is rejecting it.” My panic was obvious. Not just because Zero suffered – but because I caused it. 🔁 Present Day That’s why when I saw Chinedu the other day preparing fufu and palm oil stew for his two dogs, I had a micro meltdown. His dogs looked just like Zero did back then: 🚩 Bloated stomachs 🚩 Red, irritated eyes 🚩 Constant panting 🚩 Slow movement 🚩 Itchy skin patches 🚩 Dull...

  ☠️ How Iyabo Over-Supplemented Her Dog to Death, In the Name of Vitamins & Good Intentions Some things are hard to write.  This is one of them. Iyabo, my long-time friend, known perfectionist, and lover of all things “natural and organic,” made a heartbreaking mistake. She overdosed her beloved Labrador with supplements. It started with good intentions – like most pet tragedies do – and ended with a closed kennel and a lot of tears. But first, let’s rewind. 🐶 When Love Goes Too Far Iyabo had always been “extra.” She ironed her curtains twice a week. She sterilized Blaze’s paw when he stepped on her tiles once. So, when she adopted Bruno, a big, bouncy Labrador with golden fur and goofy eyes, she went into full mummy mode. 🔹Multivitamins.  🔹Calcium.  🔹Fish oil.  🔹Kelp powder. 🔹 Zinc drops.  🔹Probiotic chewables.  🔹Eggshell powder. 🔹 Vitamin D syrup (human grade, not pet). “I just want him to be healthy and strong,” she said. “Or radioacti...

  🍚 Chinedu, Your Pets Don’t Need That Much Carbs, Do They? I was on the roof again – not for gossip or sunbathing (though both are tempting) — but spreading out my dehusked beans to dry. The twins had finally stopped stomping on the cement, and Blaze, my forever-hungry dog, was lying like a bored lion beside my basin. From the rooftop, I had a clear view of the compound next door. That’s when I saw it. “Ehn? Is that fufu and palm oil?” There was Chinedu, my neighbor's teenage nephew, shirtless, in boxers and flip-flops – standing over two shiny aluminum plates. Two dogs were wagging their tails excitedly as he poured a small lake of red oil over what looked like cassava balls. I had to shout. “Chinedu!!”  He looked up, surprised.  “Ah, Aunty Nene! Good afternoon!”  “Good what? You want to kill those dogs?”  “Kill ke? Na wetin we dey chop dem dey chop nah. Food na food.” I climbed down quickly. Blaze followed me like he knew this was serious. I met him by the b...

  🍗 The Role of Protein in Your Pet’s Diet Last week, Dara asked, “Mummy, is fish protein or meat?” Before I could answer, Demi shouted, “It’s fish-meat!” And in that glorious moment of sibling-certified nutrition science, Blaze trotted in and snatched the fish from the table. So technically… he won the argument. That event inspired this post. Because Blaze may not be a dietician, but he knows one thing — protein is gold. But what exactly does it do for our pets? And are they getting enough… or too much? 🧠 Did You Know? Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning they need animal-based protein to survive. Dogs, while technically omnivores, still thrive best with high-quality protein sources. Protein isn’t just for bulking up. It’s responsible for: ✅ Building muscles ✅ Healing tissues ✅ Supporting the immune system ✅ Making enzymes, hormones, and hair (which explains Stu’s luscious fur) ✅ In other words, no protein = no proper pet life. 💡 What I’ve Learned So Far: ⭐ Puppies, kittens, ...

  🍪 Homemade Meals & Treats for Pets: Pros, Cons, and How to Balance Nutrients Last Saturday, I baked a batch of banana oat cookies. The twins said, “Yay, snacks!” Tolu said, “Yay, snacks!” I turned around for one minute—ONE—and suddenly, there were crumbs, some very happy pets, and three very angry children. Turns out, my “healthy cookies” were more pet-friendly than kid-approved. And thus began my deep dive into homemade meals and treats for pets. Spoiler: it’s not as simple as giving them what’s left on your plate. 🧠 Did You Know? Before commercial pet food became a billion-dollar industry, most dogs and cats were fed homemade meals—leftovers, scraps, and stews. But with today’s science, we now know that homemade doesn’t always mean healthy. Just like us, pets need specific nutrients in the right proportions—too much rice or too little calcium, and you might be creating a cute nutritional disaster with a wagging tail. 💡 What I’ve Learned (So Far): ✍️ Pets love homemade st...

  🥩 Feeding Pets Raw Food: Benefits, Risks, and How to Do It Safely I’ll never forget the day I opened the fridge to get pepper soup ingredients and instead grabbed Blaze’s raw meat mix. I was halfway through seasoning it before I realized it smelled a bit too... "zoo-like." I screamed. Tolu laughed. Stu ran. Blaze barked like he was calling his lawyer. He'd been following me around but I didn't know the reason. It was my first attempt at raw feeding, and let’s just say—my kitchen has never been the same. 🧪 Did You Know? Dogs and cats, by nature, are carnivores. Before commercial pet food, many were fed raw meat, bones, and scraps. The BARF diet (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food) was coined in the 1990s and is still popular among natural pet feeders today. But here’s the catch: raw feeding isn’t just about slapping uncooked chicken into a bowl. It requires balance, care, and cleanliness to avoid health risks—for both your pets and you. 💡 What I’ve Learned (The Har...