Rwandan Pets

            So you want an African pet?  Well, it’s as simple as going down the market and getting one, but not as simple as keeping one. 

            First off, Africans don’t have pets to have companionship or something to complain to with no backtalk.  Pets here have a purpose.  You want eggs?  Get a pet.  You want milk?  Get a pet.  You want to marry someone?  Get a pet.

GOATS

            Goats are probably the staple of the Rwandan pets.  They cost generally between $50 and $60.  If you want brochettes (meet on a stick, very popular in Rwanda) it is most likely goat meat.  If you go to any decent sized market on their market days, you can buy a goat or goat meat.  Also, goats are pretty low maintenance animals.  They’ll eat any greenery around the area.

SHEEP

            Sheep are popular, but not as common as goats.  They cost slightly less (around $40 for a good sized sheep) and are a little higher maintenance. 

CHICKENS

            Chickens are everywhere around here.  They are used from killing for meat (I’ve never met a Rwandan that didn’t know how to kill or gut a chicken), getting eggs, and taking care of nuisance insects in the area around the house.  They cost from a small chicken of $4 to a large one around $18.  Amazingly, chickens do not need to be tied up since they really never leave their home.  How this works is a completely mystery. 

ROOSTERS

            Roosters are somewhat common and you can see them roaming around a random road.  Roosters are used to come over the eggs and spray a scent that changes the eggs to chicks that will hatch.  Roosters generally cost about $15.

COWS

            Cows are the big animal around here.  They dominate everything from dowries to investments to food.  Cows start at a cost of $200 and can go up to $800 for a full sized female.  They can produce milk, manure for the fields, or better yet more cows.  Losing a cow can be catastrophic to a family. 

            If a man wants to get married, he will show his commitment (via a dowry) by giving a cow to the woman’s family.  There is a dowry ceremony that consists of the two families arguing how many cows and goats should be given up for the unmarried woman.  However, the generally accepted amount is one cow per woman. 

TURKEYS

            Turkeys are fairly common in the villages, but not as popular as chickens.  They can go from being unspectacular to massive.  Also, you can generally see a person walking a group of turkeys down the road to eat or be sold in a market.  Full grown turkeys generally cost around $15.

OTHER ANIMALS

            If you are wondering why Rwanda doesn’t have the same pets as America, there are some basic reasons.  Cats here are feral and the only people that keep cats are generally to ward off rodents.  However, some of our volunteers have cats as pets and love them being around the house.  Dogs have a much more macabre reason.  Dogs in Rwanda are generally feared and hated.  After the genocide, dogs were all over the roads eating the slain bodies.  Because of this, almost all dogs were killed in order to prevent them from being accustomated to humans.  They are making a comeback, especially in affluent families.  Unlike America, there is only one breed of dog that I have seen here in Rwanda.