For the past several months, our sweet Sammy has been getting thinner and thinner. Well, strangely enough, after finding him (or him us) a few years ago at the height of the heat of a Las Vegas summer, he’s never really put on weight. However, he’s eaten like a horse, been checked numerous times at the vet, etc.

That’s what abandoning an animal can do to it. He used up all his potential stores of fat to the point that, no matter how much more he ate (eats), he just never put on weight. Underneath his coat, he “filled out” slightly. Now, unfortunately, he’s back to the skin and bones stage – moderate renal failure per vet tests.

Hence we have learned how to “water the cat” so to speak. I never foresaw having to IV anyone, not human or animal. But the process (if you have the right, amendable cat) is not that hard to do. Numerous VET videos exist online, especially in YouTube.

Just type in “hydrating a cat” or “how to hydrate a cat”. Having the knowledge beforehand, and being shown physically by our vet, has helped a lot.

With the heat unbearable, and it will be well into October most likely, it’s very important to make sure your “pets” (I really hate that term, they should be your “friends” of “family members”) require special attention. No matter where you are in the country!

On what can be considered the positive side, Sammy has taken to drinking from the bathtub faucet. The running water idea was clever, he seems very amiable to it, however, that also means there has to be someone home all the time, or within a short period of time to ensure he gets enough water.

I’m going to be looking at buying a cat drinking fountains (seriously) locally just as soon as I can find the time to get to any local pet store. I’ve done my research, now to find one that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg!

Perhaps it’s because it’s “that time of the year” for our household, with a son attaining our local community college, or perhaps my intuition is telling me that many people would appreciate either 1) the information (seen fresh) or 2) a reminder, but during these particularly trying times for many economically, going back to school should be on your radar.

While Nevada’s educational system is nothing to brag about – being 50th in the country is downright shameful from our viewpoint – the fact remains that they do offer Associate programs (and one Bachelors) degrees and certifications. The beauty is many of these courses can be taken directly and completely online.

The benefit to the online course is not only flexibility, but, should money be tight in your family, economical. No gas, no bus tickets, no “extra spending” involved. Just the pursuit of learning.

Which brings me to my purpose for posting today. It’s FAFSA time, and assuming your state has reasonable tuition for its residents, the Pell Grant (in our case) is covering 100% of our son’s pursuit to his (first) Associate’s degree. This means all his credits plus his books (at least here in Nevada) are paid for – and he has the opportunity to advance his learning while not accumulating loans.

If you find yourself and/or family members in a position where pursuing higher education would be most beneficial, be sure to head to FAFSA.ed.gov and get the ball rolling. Cutoff dates for Fall enrollment vary from State to State. Don’t get caught without the potential for assistance with yours or your children’s education.

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Today’s post comes from a culmination of a week’s worth of events. In fact, I’m shocked to see that my last post was this past Sunday; this isn’t like me at all!

So what’s been going on to keep me from my passion of posting? Could it be the needs of those in my household? An abundance of work online? Or both?

I have noticed there are many subtle ways your (more…)