The Day My Puppy Turned One

*Don't eat that.* I was laughing and angry at the same time while saying those words. My pet, Prutt, tried to nibble on a random piece of ribbon he found under my table. He has a talent for finding the most random things to chew on. His tail was wagging and his eyes were looking at me, and it suddenly hit me. This cute little thing just turned one. How did that happen so fast?  _{baby Prutt days 🐾} When I first got Prutt, I was terrified. Not the kind of fear that makes you run away, but the kind that keeps you up at night, overthinking if you’re doing enough. He was only two months old then, this tiny shih tzu with messy fur and cute, curious eyes. I’d taken care of pets before like hamsters, fish, even bunnies, but dogs? They’re different. They look at you like you’re their whole world. And that’s both beautiful and terrifying, isn’t it? Prutt became more than just a pet. He's my daily serotonin boost, my stress reliever, my little shadow who somehow knew when I am sad. He’d just quietly sit beside me, his presence enough to make everything feel lighter. So when his first birthday was approaching, I knew I had to celebrate.  _{Prutt's birthday cake from Barkin' Blends} Weeks before his birthday, I started asking my friends and fellow furparents, where they got their dog cakes. I didn’t want to risk buying just any cake. If I was going to let Prutt indulge, it had to be something safe and healthy. One of my friends recommended a bakery that makes organic dog cakes. Wheat-free, grain-free, with ingredients like chicken liver, cheese, eggs, honey, and even vegetable frosting.  _{dognuts and numnums from Barkin' Blends} I decided on a 6-inch pupper confetti cake. I even sent them a photo of Prutt so they could design it. I added some dognuts (doggy doughnuts), a few numnums, and doggy burgers for his friends.  _{doggy burgers from Barkin' Blends} A few days before the big day, I bought him a birthday hat and a bib with a Happy Birthday on it. When I tried them on him, he looked at me like we wanted to say 'really?' 😂 but he looked so cute I couldn’t stop laughing.  When the day came, we gathered around him, sang Happy Birthday and he couldn’t stop sniffing the table. He was already eyeing the doggy burgers even before we finished singing!  As soon as the song ended, he dove right into his cake. Watching him eat with so much joy made me smile the whole time.  Later that night, when everything quieted down, Prutt curled up beside me. I looked at him and thought about how much he made my life so much better. He made our home warmer and our days lighter. I didn’t expect to love a pet this much. But here I am, celebrating his first birthday like he’s my own kid.