Warning: Rant!

For nearly two months now, cats have been my life.  I’ve taken in not one, but THREE, pregnant feral cats in the hopes that I can get the babies homed and the mothers fixed and put back outside.  My goal is to prevent the current colony from growing in size exponentially.  I have now prevented 12 babies from growing up feral outside and reproducing.  Of those 12, five for sure have been girls.  Which can each have three to five babies per litter before they hit one year of age.

Let me back up and say that we inherited this cat mess when we moved in.  The neighbors across the street should be the responsible party, but they just don’t care.  I know that’s where the problem started because A) they all ran from there to here each night and B) the little girl who lives there asked me one day “Why do my cats like you?” Hmmm.  Because I FEED THEM!?

Anyway, in my quest to humanely take care of the cat problem that is now in my yard, under my house, and taken over my studio and guest bedroom, I’ve run into tons of hurdles.  The biggest being that people just don’t care.  No one cares that these animals are scrounging for food, digging up yards and gardens, and reproducing like there’s no tomorrow.  No one cares that these are living things with physical needs.  No one cares!

When the first litter was born, one baby was very sick.  She didn’t make it to a week.  It broke my heart when she died, because she was a precious living thing.  While discussing things with a woman (we’ll call her L) from the cat rescue I’ve been working with, she told me “Well, we have enough cats in this world, and we don’t need anymore.  It’s better that they die.”  This, from a woman who is supposed to be rescuing cats.  Sure, it may be true that we don’t need any more cats, but the fact that she didn’t care at all that the baby didn’t make it bothered me a lot.  Obviously I have a lot of respect for animals and I don’t believe they should be discarded or so easily dismissed.

L’s specialty in the rescue group is hand raising kittens.  On her last visit to check in on the older litter and to give them their first round of vaccinations, she told me she had lost nine kittens in the last few weeks.  She didn’t even care.  Why are there people working with animals if they don’t give a damn?  It makes no sense to me.  I have a feeling it wasn’t because the babies were destined to die.  After requesting medicine from her and not getting it for a week and a half (ultimately I went to the vet and got it myself), I understand that it’s because she can’t be bothered to take immediate action.  She just doesn’t care.

Another person I’ve had to deal with is someone who works for an organization that provides low-cost spays and neuters.  They don’t care if it’s for a pet or for a feral cat, all are welcome.  I’ve gotten two feral cats fixed so far, plus one of my own and a voucher on hand for the mama of the older litter, so they know who I am.  Recently, someone has been kind enough to donate money to get the rest of the colony fixed.  When speaking with the woman (B) from this group, she wanted to know what the situation was.  I told her I had three with kittens that need to be fixed, plus another four outside, one of which is pregnant.  I was told to catch her (though I don’t know how–I’ve been requesting traps from the rescue group for nearly two months now but L can’t seem to locate them) and have the babies aborted.

This woman, whose job is to take my money and give me a voucher, told me to murder kittens.  This is the second person that works with cats who has told me they don’t matter.  I’m just so frustrated that I can hardly see straight!

I have to get just a little more off my chest.  I believe that we have an animal crisis on our hands because of people’s lack of responsibility.  Shelters are packed, hundreds (or more) of cats and dogs are euthanized daily because there’s no more room, and rescues are full.  Why?  Because people DON’T GET THEIR PETS SPAYED OR NEUTERED!!!  Here in the Valley, it’s a common practice to simply put your pet outside if you no longer want to care for it.  Many times, they’re not fixed, which leads to these feral colonies.

Since we have created the problem, we have to fix it humanely and with responsibility.  That does not mean killing the innocents.  That does not mean waiting for someone else to fix the problem.  That does not mean ignoring it and hoping it will go away or pretending there isn’t a problem in the first place.

Cleaning up this mess has cost me dearly.  Not just financially, but emotionally, physically, and mentally as well.  I’ve had to give up my time, my house, my money, and my sanity to clean up someone else’s mess.  I had to take responsibility because no one else would.  I have to live with my choices and decisions. And doing that means sacrifice.  I believe in a higher power, and I believe we will all have to be accountable one day for how we treat other people and animals.  I have to do what I believe is right, and that means rescuing kittens and spaying/neutering and releasing the adults.  That, in my opinion, is the only way to clean up the mess that has been created.

I care deeply about each and every one of these cats.  It is who I am and I will not change.  I will not toss my morals out the door because every one I’ve encountered so far thinks I need to kill these animals instead of helping them.  I will continue to do what I have to in order to fix the problem responsibly.

I know this has been a long post, and I thank you for sticking with me to the end.  I’m fighting an uphill battle and I feel like I’m doing it alone.  I know it’s a long shot, but here is a link to my Amazon wishlist. I don’t expect any help, but I would be incredibly grateful if you’d consider chipping in.

 

Gardening in the Desert: Tips From a Beginner

This year is the first year that I’ve had a real garden since moving to Arizona.  I’ve done a few things in containers, and last year I attempted to plant a few things in the ground (but had to move before things had a chance to grow).  I’ve been doing reading and researching about what does well in the desert, and I’ve learned a few things along the way, both from practice and from reading.  I’d like to share a few things.

Container gardens seem to be the way to go out here.  The native dirt is very difficult to amend.  It’s a lovely shade of red, but it doesn’t seem to want to grow veggies.  This year I made raised beds (biiiiig containers!!) and so far things are really working out well.  Getting the right mix of dirt is tricky, and I’m not far along enough to know if I’ve done it right, but since things seem to be growing like mad I’d like to think I’ve done ok

My beds contain a mix of things.  After building the boxes on top of a weed barrier, the first thing I added was composted manure.  It’s really cheap at places like Home Depot, but a lot of ranchers offer free manure here.  If you get the fresh stuff, you’ll want to let it compost a year before applying it to the beds.  Next, I got tons of coffee grounds free from Starbucks.  I just sort of raked together the manure and coffee grounds and spread a thin layer over the bottom of each box.

The bulk of the dirt was the most expensive part, and is a mixture of top soil, organic garden soil, and compost.  Again, I dumped the bags into each bed and then raked them around.  I added my plants and topped everything off with a nice layer of composted mulch.

Last year I learned that beets don’t like hot weather, so this year I planted them in March in the hopes that I could get a round in.  So far they are doing very well.  I planted them on the east side of the tomatoes, so as the tomatoes grew, they’d provide shade for the beets in the evenings.  I think this has been a wise move, because they are huge!  I planted turnips in the same bed with the same thoughts.

I’ve also added worms to my garden beds.  I wasn’t sure if they’d survive, but last weekend I added a few marigolds (natural insect repellant).  As I placed my flowers, not only did I see a couple of the big earthworms, I also saw some baby worms.  Worms do great things for the plants and soil, and I’m really glad I put them in each of the beds.

Speaking of marigolds, I’ve tried to work in some natural defenses.  I added the marigolds, and plan to collect the seeds from the dead flowers.  I’ve also planted onions and garlic in a couple of the beds since these things are supposed to prevent some bugs from munching on my veggies.  I haven’t noticed a lot of eaten plants and things, so it just might be working.

My biggest problem was knowing how much to water things.  Root rot can be fatal and happens when you over-water your plants.  I read somewhere that you shouldn’t water your plants unless the top two inches of dirt is dry.  This has been a big key for me.  I check daily and have found that if I only water when the top two inches are dry, I end up watering only two or three times per week.  I thought I’d have to water every day, but things are thriving.  I do tend to water the little seedlings more often, since they’re closer to the surface.

I’ve also learned that you can fertilize plants too much.  I’ve started keeping a calender to mark what I’ve fertilized and when, so I don’t scorch the roots by over doing it.  Also, I don’t fertilize the plants until they are at least three inches tall.

I’m still learning and I have a long way to go.  I am really excited about the progress I’ve made and I’m so excited for the day when I can start harvesting.  Gardening in the desert may seem like a daunting task, but it’s really not as scary as it sounds.  If you have any super secret gardening tips, I’d love to hear them!

 

 

 

Homemade “Gatorade” Energy Drink

I was supposed to do this yesterday but had a bit of a problem.  Without further ado, here it is!

Last weekend my husband and I spent more than ten hours outside working on a project (that was only supposed to take four hours, but that’s another story!).  When we were finished, we were both beyond parched.  He suggested going to the store to pick up some Gatorade to help replenish ourselves.  I wanted to shower first.

Not ten minutes later he caught a glimpse of a show talking about making your own electrolyte drinks at home for pennies.  I didn’t catch who the show was, but that prompted us to try to create our own.  Good thing I delayed our grocery store run!

It’s very simple.  You will need water, baking soda, salt, sweetener of your choice, and flavoring (optional).  Here’s the recipe:

Per one liter of water you add

1/2 tablespoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

2 tablespoons agave (or other sweetener of your choice)

Mix everything together thoroughly.  We made several batches and put it in a gallon pitcher to sip on over the next couple of days.

As is, the recipe is salty and hard to drink.  We modified it by pureeing some blueberries in water and straining the juice into the pitcher and also adding about a tablespoon of raspberry flavored syrup.  It was surprisingly good then and still cost nowhere near the price of a single bottle of Gatorade.

We were curious about the baking soda, so did a little research.  My husband found out that it affects the pH of your stomach, which allows you to more readily absorb the salt from the water.

Next time you need a pick-me-up, try whipping up a batch of your own.  No need to worry about dyes and preservatives, and it’s really cheap and easy to do.  You can even get creative with flavorings you may already have on hand.

 

Gah! Where Has the Time Gone?!

Well, I’ve been gone much longer than I had intended.  I hadn’t meant to be gone at all actually, but I’ve been super busy lately!  I’ve been fostering kittens:

Easter babies!

Born February 28th. From left to right: Gandalf (the Gray), Arwen, Gimli, and Legolas

I’ve also been busy with a garden:

My mom gave us raised bed gardens for Easter!  While she was here in March, we took a couple of days to build the beds, fill them, and plant.  I have tomatoes, onions, beets, radishes, cucumbers, beans, a variety of peppers, brussels sprouts, carrots, and squash in the beds.  In a corner of the yard I planted some corn and asparagus.  Another bed is dedicated to herbs and includes several kinds of mint, basil, dill, cilantro, parsley, sage, lemon balm, catnip, and garlic.  Today I added a tiny box with strawberries.  This year we also added blueberry, blackberry, and raspberry bushes as well as two grape vines.  The orange trees and the fig survived the frost (yay!!!), so in a few years they’ll be producing as well.  I am much closer to my dream of being able to harvest from a bountiful backyard garden thanks to my mom.

I’m also experimenting a bit in the garden.  I have planted sweet potatoes (in the planter box from last year) and green onion ends from the store.  So far both are doing amazing.  I’d like to add more potatoes since they’re so versatile.  We’ll see if I can find a bit more room!

I’ve also been busy with my (FREE!!) online classes.  I’m taking a creative writing class and a class on how to start your own arts and crafts based business, both offered by my library.  I’m learning so much in both of them and really enjoy being back in school.

So yeah, that’s been my crazy life for the last few weeks.  This week we’re a bit tight on grocery money (all those little kittens eat like piggies!) so we’ve challenged ourselves to eat only what’s already in the house.  So far, so good.  It’s a good chance to clear out some of the things that have been frozen for a while now.  We may continue the challenge for another week, or at least try to cut our budget in half.  We currently have $25 each week for groceries and toiletries and household items, so we’ll see if we can make it work.

The kittens are ready for some play time (ok, I’m the one ready for some play time), so I’m off once again!  Check back in tomorrow for a super simple recipe for a “Gatorade” type drink you can make at home.  It’s warming up and staying hydrated is really important.

 

Continuing Education with Online Courses

A few days ago, I got an email from my library.  I almost deleted it without reading because it was a newsletter type thing.  As I was about to send it to the trash, I saw that they had a program to offer free online courses.  I clicked the link and before I know it, I was signed up to take a creative writing class for beginners.  I’ll get a certificate of completion at the end if I pass my final exam.

Apparently the library covers the costs of these courses and allows each person to take up to six per month.  For free!!  There were dozens to chose from in myriad categories, including finance, languages, technology, and teaching, to name a few.  The class I have signed up for has students from all over the world and from all age groups and backgrounds.  It lasts six weeks, has new lessons twice a week, and has a discussion room for help with our assignments.  I’ve never done an online class before, but it seems to be a great way to be exposed to a wider range of points of view.

This is a great way to boost your resume if you are unemployed or underemployed.  It’s also a great way to do some networking with others in your field.  If you stay at home, it’s a chance to interact with the world without leaving your house.  Or, if you’re like me, it’s an opportunity to learn simply for the joy of learning.

If you are a member of a library in or near a large city, I suggest searching your library webpage for similar offerings.  Not only does mine offer free courses, I have found postings for free seminars, book clubs, knitting and other crafts groups, and a database for searching your family history.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; libraries are magical places, especially for those on a tight budget!

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to grab a cup of coffee before I get to class!

 

Can’t Afford a Pet? Try Fostering!

A little over a week ago, I found myself in the role of foster parent to not one, but two, pregnant cats.  Both of these ladies are feral and have been coming to my house to eat every day since we moved here last August.  The day I took Jewel in, she looked like a bowling ball!  I knew her babies would be here soon and decided to take her in.  This served two purposes: to keep her and the babies safe and to find homes for them after they are weaned so as not to let the feral colony double in size. 

Six days ago, Jewel gave birth to five adorable kittens.  You can check out an album here if you’d like to see the babies as they grow.  Unfortunately she lost one, but the others seem to be doing very well.  Adele hasn’t had her babies yet, but they should be here in the next week or so.

My husband had to pick up meds from the vet a few days ago and there happened to be a lady in the waiting room that was part of an organization called Cactus Cats Rescue.  When he asked the receptionist a question about adopting out the babies, she jumped right in and has been a tremendous help since then. 

Fostering cats as part of such a rescue group can be a great way to care for a pet if you can’t afford one.  They provide the food, cages, medical treatment, vaccinations, and will spay/neuter the pet at their cost.  All you do is provide the shelter and the love.  You may also be asked to take the pet to adoption events.  Foster homes are always needed and it’s a great way to give an abandoned/homeless pet a chance at getting a new forever home. 

Because the mother cats were feral, we aren’t getting all the support of a traditional fostering situation.  Cactus Cats will take the babies after they are weaned and get them all fixed up and homed.  The mothers will be fixed and probably be put back outside.  We have to provide all the food and supplies right now, but for me it’s still worth it to get these babies a good home.

If you’re considering fostering a pet, be sure to contact local rescue groups in your area to see what you can do and how much support they provide.  People with pets tend to be healthier, so what are you waiting for!?

 

Vacuum Sealing The Frugal Way

I frequent the r/frugal subreddit at Reddit, always on the look out for tips to help me save that I don’t already practice.  A few days ago, I got a great one on vacuum sealing foods to keep them fresher in the freezer longer.  The best part?  There’s no expensive equipment to buy and you probably already have everything you need.

I’ll admit I’ve been doing research on buying a vacuum sealer.  I keep reading over and over that they lose suction quickly or that the bags are so expensive.  I really didn’t want to pay $100 or more for something that wasn’t going to work.  So, I’ve put it off.  And I’m glad I did!

Here’s what you need.  Are you ready?  You need Ziploc bags (or your favorite store brand, which will be cheaper), a sink, and water.  That’s it.  Really.  I’ve tried this myself and it’s amazing.  I can’t believe I didn’t know this before. 

Simply put your items in the bag and seal it shut except for about one inch on one side.  Have your sink filled with water (the temperature doesn’t matter).  Slowly submerse the bag into the water.  As you push it in, the pressure from the water will push the air out of the bag.  Keep pushing it under until you get to the last little bit that hasn’t been sealed shut yet.  Carefully seal it without getting any water in the bag.  That’s really all there is to it. 

I learned this from this video on youtube.  It’s done by someone who hunts and fishes, so you may want to skip to 1:30 where he shows you this awesome trick.  I hope you’ll find this as useful as I did!