Hi friend,

It’s rough out there. Along with the general apocalyptic state of the world, my personal life continues to beat the sh*t out of me.

So I’m running a flash sale in my online shop right now through next Monday, Feb 10th.

Get 20% off all orders with code COW20 at checkout.

Go shop now here, or keep reading for the saga of my cat Cowvin’s outrageous medical bills.

If there’s one thing the universe loves to do, it’s to make me handle more than one crisis at the same time.

Two weeks ago, on the same day that we received bad news about my mom’s brain cancer, I had to take my best friend (who happens to be a cat) to the kitty ICU.

First, let me explain to you how much I love this cat

I adopted Cowvin when I was 19, just weeks after moving out of my parents’ house for the first time.

I’m now 32. He’s been with me for 12 and a half years, more than 1/3 of my whole life.

I have five cats and two dogs. Cow is not only the first pet I adopted on my own as an adult, but he’s the only one I got on purpose. (Don’t ask how I ended up with a zoo in my home on accident, just call me Snow White, I guess 🤷‍♂️)

He’s also the only one of my animals I have tattooed on my body (the rest will get theirs eventually 😉)

So here’s what happened...

I was pretty sure Cow was actively dying.

He’d lost a ton of weight, he was lethargic, not grooming himself, having trouble using the bathroom, and not eating.

The vet wanted to do a $15,000 surgery to remove his gallbladder which would only give him a 50/50 chance of survival and cause him a lot of pain and suffering at best. Which I personally think is an insane plan of action.

So we went the route of medication because it felt like the only option. The doctor didn’t think it would do much.

We’re still unsure if he has cancer or just severe inflammatory bowel disease, or both.

But he has improved significantly with the meds!

He’s back to his normal energy levels, he’s gained some weight, his appetite is back, he’s himself.

The vet is very surprised at how well he’s doing.

And I am SO grateful for this. Beyond what I can explain in words.

But it also has already cost my partner and me over $7,500, which was essentially all of our money.

We took Cow to his follow-up appointment this morning and we could only afford half of the testing they wanted to do plus refills of his medications.

And he will continue to need meds and follow-up testing.

Soooo…. That’s why I’m having a flash sale in my shop 😅

Native seed packs, digital workbooks and handbooks, consultations, and more are all 20% off right now through Feb 10th with code COW20 at checkout!

If you feel compelled to send me a tip for my work or donate directly to the Help Cowvin Fund rather than making a purchase (always appreciated, never expected!), here’s how to do that:

​Venmo @toryerp

​Cashapp $toryerp​

​Paypal​

Thank you for sticking around while I navigate the nonstop horrors of life.

I desperately want to be making new content for you.

But between losing my dad a year ago, dealing with being a caregiver/patient advocate for my mom on her brain cancer journey for the past two years, several other deaths and illnesses of family and friends, and now being a cat nurse, it’s hard to do anything but survive.

I hope that this year I can get back to it. I know now more than ever, people need the hope and guidance that comes from Native Yardening.

Enrollment will (hopefully) be opening soon for my online course Gardening for the Future. Look out for more info on that to come!

Tory is an ecologist and landscape consultant. He helps North American gardeners transition from using outdated and harmful but status-quo techniques to using their yards to improve the health of our planet. Along with being a gardener for over 10 years, Tory has a Master of Science degree in Sustainable Design and is certified in Regenerative Soil Science.​

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