

The 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 both pet-friendly and earth-friendly that are kind to your wallet. Here are a few simple things you can do to be both Eco-nomical and Earth-onomical:
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. When it comes to cats, this is a crucial step, 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 out 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 your local 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 heading to landfill every 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 that I was spending about $1,600 on my cat’s food every year, I knew I needed to find a way 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 ton. 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 you can save landfill space 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 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 plastic bottles out of landfill 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!
Eco-nomical: Toys can get quite expensive, especially if your pup chews them to pieces. By making your own toys, you can save almost $200 per year
Earth-onomical: Making your own toys means you are reducing waste, reusing old stuff, and having a whole lot of fun in the process. Most pet toys are made from plastic and are not recyclable, so this is a great earth-friendly choice from both a manufacturing and disposal standpoint. The website www.make-and-build-dog-stuff.com has some great ideas for homemade doggie toys. For cats, check out www.squidoo.com/homemadecattoys
If you incorporate these effective economical changes into you and your pets’ routine you can save a good amount of green each year, and that’s just a puuuurrrrr-fectly good choice.
Candice Batista is a green lifestyle expert and journalist and is the host and producer of Pet Central on The Pet Network. www.candicebatista.com
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