feature story
Pet-onomics
for Dummies
Earth and Wallet-Friendly
Tips for Pet Owners
By Candice Batista
Illustration by Alex Nursall
T
!he pet-­human
bond can be as
strong as the one
between a parent
and child. However, much
like having kids, owning
pets can cost you a pretty
penny. Nonetheless, there
are still ways to pamper your
pet that are pet-­friendly,
earth-­friendly, and still kind
to your wallet. Here are a
few simple things you can
do to be both Eco-­nomical
and Earth-­onomical:
28 | May 2011 | tonic
SPAY IT FORWARD!
Eco-nomical: You can save
up to $1000 by spaying
or neutering your animal.
Most experts agree that this
helps animals lead longer,
healthier lives, meaning
that you can save money
on vet bills and baby care
should your animal have
pups or kittens.
Earth-onomical: Thousands
of animals give birth every
year to unwanted litters,
leading to a pet population
crisis. That takes a huge
toll on our planet, so snip
this population crisis in the
bud by spaying or neutering
your pets. This is a crucial
step when it comes to cats,
as in Toronto alone there
are thousands unwanted
homeless cats living on our
streets.
PAY IT FORWARD!
Eco-nomical: Adopting
your furry friend from a
shelter instead of a breeder
or a pet store will save you
almost $500 (depending on
the breed of the animal).
Earth-onomical: First,
adoption is the best way
to muzzle destructive
and harmful puppy mills.
Second, thousands of
animals are abandoned
every year in Canada and
are in desperate need of
homes. In many cases,
shelter animals that are
not adopted are put down.
Be part of the solution and
save a pet today!
GET TANKED!
Eco-nomical: If you want
to buy your child a cute
little critter, look for used
aquariums, crates, and
cages. Craigslist is a great
place to start and so is a
neighborhood garage sale.
You can save almost $300
by purchasing a used piece
of equipment for your pet.
Earth-onomical: By
sourcing used products,
you are helping to reduce
the amount of pet garbage
_\X[`e^kfcXe[Ôcc\m\ip
year. The sad news is that
most of these products
(aquariums, crates and
cages) cannot be recycled.
From a manufacturing
standpoint, these items
really do take a toll on
the planet, whether it’s
through the metals being
mined or the production
of plastics, causing major
pollution and disposal
issues.
COOK UP A
GREEN MEAL!
Eco-nomical: When I realized
I was spending about $1,600
on my cat’s food every year, I
be\n@e\\[\[kfÔe[XnXp
to reduce that. By cooking
for them one week a month,
I have saved almost $252 per
year. Each time I cooked an
organic meal, I put a small
amount of the ingredients
aside to cook up something
special for my cats. It saves
me money and a trip to the
pet store once a week.
Earth-onomical: Cooking
your own food helps to
reduce packaging waste
for one full week a month,
adding up to about 52 lbs.
of waste each year. Also, be
sure to recycle your cans, as
tin and steel cans save a lot
of energy if they are recycled.
Reclaiming one tonne of
steel or tin saves 1.5 tonnes
of ore. Tin recycling saves
an estimated 2600-­kilowatt
hours per tonne. Steel
recycling saves an average
of 4300-­kilowatt hours per
tonne (47 percent of the
energy required to process
steel from raw materials).
Aluminum takes about 300
years to break down, so by
recycling aluminum cans
pflZXejXm\cXe[ÔccjgXZ\
and reduce the energy costs
needed to make them. It
takes 95 percent less energy
to produce new aluminum
from discarded cans than
from raw materials.
SLEEP EASY!
Eco-nomical: Buying or
making an eco-­friendly bed
for your pet is a great way to
reduce toxins in your home
and save a little money.
Beds made from synthetic
materials like polyester are
chemically laden and can be
costly. If you make your own
pet bed using old pillows,
cushions, or blankets, you health products for dogs
can save anywhere from $35
to $100.
Earth-onomical: Greener
Pup beds have a noted effect
on the environment, but in
a good way. Since the beds
are made of recycled bottles,
you are keeping about 70-­120
gcXjk`ZYfkkc\jflkf]cXe[Ôcc
per bed. If you choose to
make your own bed, you
are reducing the amount of
energy needed to make a new
one by 85 percent and are
upcycling your old stuff into
something new.
PLAY TIME!
; ]XXT MUMV \
Eco-nomical: Toys can get
quite expensive, especially
if your pup chews them to
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pieces. By making your own
toys, you can save almost
$200 per year.
Earth-onomical: Making
your own toys means you Fast-acting
are reducing waste, reusing Optimally absorbed
old stuff, and having a whole
lot of fun in the process. See the difference!
Most pet toys are made from
plastic and are not recyclable, BioVITES: Proactive Anti-aging Multiplus
Vitamins, minerals, digestive enzymes, natural fibres,
so this is a great earth-­
antioxidants and toxin blockers to improve immune system,
friendly choice from both a
energy, digestion, and protect tissues and health
manufacturing and disposal
standpoint. The website www. BioFATS: Pet-complete Omegas
make-­and-­build-­dog-­stuff. © Essential Omega-6, plus Omega-3;
com has some great ideas for improves overall health
k
homemade doggie toys. For © Healthy skin & lustrous coat New Lraollyo
cats, check out www.squidoo. © Mobility & joint health N a tu
te!
© Heart & aging better tas
com/homemadecattoys
If you incorporate these
Scan me to receive a FREE
effective economical changes copy of ‘Your
into you and your pets’ Dog’s Health’
routine you can save a good
amount of green each year,
and that’s just a puuuurrrrr-­
fectly good choice. 
NASC certified quality assurance
Candice Batista is a green lifestyle 1.888.379.3135 Find the complete line at select Veterinarians,
expert and journalist and is the host
and producer of Pet Central on The Pet www.biologicVET.net pet supply, and health food stores.
Network. www.candicebatista.com
tonic | May 2011 |  29