Animals We Kept in the '90s

My home had a rural feel when I was growing up in the '90s. We cultivated crops and kept a variety of animals, but the ones that left a lasting impression on me were cats, dogs and cattle.

Well, I can't remember any particular cat because they all looked the same to me. But I remember how some of them bothered us for defecating in our living room, causing a repulsive smell.

Somebody at home bundled one noisome cat in a sack and instructed my brother Bob Njinju to go throw it near a stream not far from home. Bob carried out the task but the cat found its way back home. How mysterious!

One night, an uncle of mine closed the door of our living room and cornered a cat with the intention of killing it. I can't recall if he accomplished his mission. But I don't think the cat injured him while acting in self-defence.

The dogs we kept were more memorable than cats. Since we were boys in our family (and you probably know how boys love dogs), we always had a dog. One we called Toss had a habit of feasting on human feces.

Another one we called Poppy, probably a German shepherd, was the bravest we ever had. It once bit an elderly woman who came home, but I didn't get to know if she was seriously hurt.

We also had Scooby-Doo, a dog we named after a cartoon character shown on TV. There was however nothing special about the dog other than that name we gave it which still sounds melodic to my ears.

As for the cattle we kept in the '90s, I remember two cows: Judy and Mukuyu. I think it was Mum who gave them those names that stuck in my head.

Judy was placid, so easy to milk. But it didn't produce much milk. Mukuyu, on the other hand, was not easy to milk and protective of its calves. But it produced plenty of milk.

It must be Mukuyu which bore a mad bull we owned in the '90s. Only men like Uncle Ndonga could handle the bull. To the best of my knowledge, it didn't hurt anyone before my family sold it, obviously at a handsome price.

As I was growing up, I sometimes grazed the cattle. While driving them back home, I would fix my gaze on the calves and adore them. They looked so cute, so innocent. Maybe that's why I love animals.

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RECOMMENDATION: If you've enjoyed the above story on the animals we kept in the '90s, you might also enjoy another one on "Some TV Shows of the '90s" which I wrote several weeks ago. Just click that link in blue to dive straight into the story.