Lola can easily pass for Nairobi’s most pampered pet. Her mother, Genevieve Wasonga spares nothing when it comes to her small fluffy white Maltese dog.
Lola has her grooming done monthly. She gets a good fur trim, gets her nails clipped, her genital cleaned and the hair around it clipped as well as having her teeth brushed and the tear marks and ears cleaned. She is also given a good scented bath that leaves a lingering fresh smell for about two to three weeks.
To spend her energy, she spends a lot of her time on a day dog care where she runs around and plays with other pets. Her mother Genevieve is keen on this because her home is an apartment meaning she does not have a lot of space for Lola to run and play around. She is also specific about what Lola eats and will mostly eat what the family is eating, only that hers is boiled, not spiced and unsalted. After outgrowing kibbles, her meals include shredded or minced chicken, boiled eggs, chicken liver and gizzards. For vitamins, she eats butternut, pumpkin, boiled oats and mashed carrots which are all fibre and help with poop. All these are either mixed with rice, ugali or pasta. She is also drinking lots of water.
Lola also has a best friend called Luna. They often hang out together in either of their parent’s homes and will be found tugging each other’s tails or napping together. When outside, they both share a love-hate relationship with cats and you will find them snarling and chasing after cats who cross their way.
Genevieve’s got her as a present one year ago and her life has changed for the better. She explains that Lola has helped her when she was going through hard times in her life.
“Lola can read my emotions, she knows when I am tired, happy and when I need space. When I want to rest, she will come and sit beside me and chill. During walks, she also knows I cannot walk very fast or far and so she never tugs the leash and when she is off leash, she will walk a few steps then turn back to see how far behind I am and wait for me.”
Before getting the pet, Genevieve did not know a thing about taking care of a Maltese, she had to learn on the go but pet stores and Jakaranda Veterinary Clinic helped her a lot with knowing what to buy, what kind of leash was good for a dog, guiding her on the kind of dog bed to buy and puppy food to feed her. She plans on getting another dog in future, a female one to keep Lola company.