Akron Life April 2023

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[ Managing Editor | Kelly Petryszyn | kpetryszyn@bakermediagroup.com ]

Big Brother

Our pets play many di ! erent roles in our lives.

But now, he’s no longer the baby and plays a new role — big brother to our 15-month-old baby and his sister, Izzy. In this pet issue, many pet parents admit they like to baby their furry companions. From primping and hair color ing at the doggy salon to showering them with frilly outfits and birthday cakes, the pets on pg. 20 have pampered lives. I would love to say that we still spoil Tuna, but

and more uncontrollable in her movements. Izzy would grab Tuna’s tail or a clump of fur. You could start to see fear in his eyes, and he would dart away from her, some times with a puffed tail. We tried to stop her, but she was so fast. As the year went on, Izzy started to gain more self-control, and Tuna’s fear mostly dissipated. While she plays in the base ment, he perches on her toy chest, close enough for brief pets but far enough that he can scooch out of her reach if she gets too heavy-handed. I love our new bedtime routine. Tuna jumps up onto the rocker’s arm as Izzy pets him. It took a while of holding her hand to teach her to pet gently, but now she mostly does it on her own. She does the cutest thing ever — she nuzzles Tuna with her entire head! It warms my heart. And we know how much she loves him because she says, “Hi, kitty!” far more than “mama” and “dada.” Tony says Tuna is fine with us spending so much time rushing around caring for Izzy. But I want Tuna to know that we still love him. Despite less attention, he still snuggles at my feet when I collapse on the couch or bed after chasing around a new walker. He still loves me even though I can’t give him everything. Many pet parents in this issue discuss how they spoil their pets because they think of them as family members. Tuna has become such a loving big brother. He will always be loved as a part of the family no matter what role he plays.

When my husband, Tony, and I got our tuxedo cat, Tuna, in !"#& , he was our baby. We got him as a tiny, ! -month-old kitten, so he had the rambunctious energy of a little one and batted around toys all day. He is our first cat together, so we gave him so much attention. We constantly fed him puree treats and waved wand toys and a laser pointer for him to chase. Tuna was the ultimate source of companionship during the early lonely days of the pandemic. He was especially comforting when I worked at home and didn’t feel well while pregnant, often curling up in my lap as I worked.

I admit that he gets far less attention now that Izzy is the baby of the house. When we brought Izzy home from the hospital, Tuna peered into the car seat with wide eyes like, What in the world is that? Tony then cradled the sleeping baby, and Tuna sniffed her tiny head. As we put her in her crib, Tuna got up on his hind legs to peer through the slats. It wasn’t long before Tuna gravitated toward the calm and drowsy newborn, sleeping beside her on the couch, sitting next to her in the nursery rocker and perching on Tony’s back as he lay beside her on her elephant playmat. She spent hours knock ing around hanging toys in her baby gym, and Tuna eventually discovered he could sit by her and swat at the toys too. By late summer, Tuna began to approach her more gingerly as she became livelier

[ Managing Editor Kelly Petryszyn is an adventure seeker, forever a dreamer and an avid supporter of #TeamFiona. ]

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APRIL 2023 | akronlife.com