One of the principles of Homesteading and Permaculture is recycling. Or more accurately, reuse.
Well, a couple of years ago, I picked up a sheet set for about $0.50 at a yard sale. But, because of its very loud fabric and low thread count, I was unable to make use of it. Until now. We decided to replace our kitchen shades with curtains to let in more light. So I pulled out that sheet set, and the loud pattern that was so inappropriate for clothing works perfectly as curtains. Even better, the color scheme matches our kitchen. I got one large set of curtains and two short valances out of the set, and I still have some fabric left.
So yay for repurposing!
Another aspect of Homesteading especially, is that every animal and plant you nurture should have a use. Even flowers can enrich soil or provide good grazing for chickens and goats.
Which brings me too my cat. My indoor cat who was declawed by her previous owners and thus can never roam freely or work outside.
On the surface, my cat appears to be waste of resources. Less so if I start composting her wastes, but since cat waste must be composted separately and shouldn’t be used on feed crops, her contribution doesn’t balance out the resources she uses.
But that’s just on the surface. In reality, my cat is an important part of my mental health. She keeps me interested and invested in life, comforts me when I’m down, and delights me with her antics. These contributions are priceless. After all, if I’m not mentally healthy, I won’t have the energy or desire to grow some of my own food.
In fact, I originally considered keeping chickens, quail, and rabbits for her benefit. She still eats high-quality commercial food right now, but I plan to switch to raw feeding when I can afford it. Chicken, quail, and rabbits are all very good for cats, along with their other benefits to a homestead.
So, in a way, my whole interest in homesteading and permaculture is my cat’s fault.
Who can put a price on that?
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