Allie’s Answers

It’s flea and tick season again. If your dog or cat comes home with some hitchhikers, give this remedy from Greenpeace Canada a try:

Add 1/2 cup (125 ml) of fresh or dried rosemary to a quart/litre of boiling water. Steep 20 minutes, strain, and allow to cool to body temperature. Spray or sponge evenly onto pet and allow to air dry. Do not towel down as this will remove the residue. Make sure pets are dry before letting them outside.

Your pet will have a fresh rosemary scent and you won’t have to use any harsh chemicals.

Another Eco-Friendly Tip from Allie.

Our dog is just shy of 100 pounds. His monster teeth destroy dog toys even when he’s trying to be gentle. After he’s put a few holes in a toy, it’s not safe for him to play with it anymore. The plastics that are commonly used to make dog toys aren’t recyclable, so broken toys end up in the garbage.

The solution? Tough enough dog toys made from recycled materials, like Orbee-Tuff RecycleBall and RecycleBone, by Planet Dog. Both toys are made from factory remnants and are non-toxic, washable, and recyclable.

Or make your own dog toys. My pup got a full day of play out of an old sock stuffed with another old sock and tied at the top. Try an old t-shirt or towel tied in knots. As with any toy, keep an eye on your dog to make sure he’s not eating pieces of it, and take it away once it starts to come apart. Once your dog is done, what’s left of the homemade toy can go in your rag bin.

Another Eco-Friendly Tip from Allie.

I’ve been reading about domestic cats disrupting the bird population quite a bit lately. It ’s a topic on a lot of my favorite eco-conscious websites.

Our cat is an indoor cat. When I got her, the ASPCA made me promise to keep her indoors for her safety. But I had outdoor cats as a kid, and they loved to bring us “presents.”

According to Ecology Fund:

Domestic cats kill over one billion small birds and animals every year (1 outdoor cat averages 40 kills per year). They upset natural predator/prey balances and eliminate ground nesting birds.

Trying to keep an outdoor cat indoors may cause you to lose your sanity, but if you’re getting a new cat, commit to keeping her indoors.

Or, you could walk your cat on a leash.

Another Eco-Friendly Tip from Allie.

I was skeptical when I first tried Feline Pine. I’ve tried other environmentally friendly kitty litters before. One was made from recycled newspaper, another from cedar shavings, but when the whole house ended up smelling like cat, I quickly switched back to traditional litter.

When I saw Feline Pine at in the kitty litter aisle, I decided to give environmentally friendly kitty litter one last try. I’m really glad I did. My cat made the switch easily, and the only odor I’ve noticed is a pleasant, woodsy scent. No new trees were cut to make this product.

Feline Pine has:

• no harsh artificial fragrances
• no dangerous silica dust
• no unnatural chemical additives
• virtually dust-free pellets

A seven pound bag should last for four weeks. As it’s used, the litter pellets break down into saw dust. After scooping, the dust can be composted, or used as mulch.

Feline Pine is relatively inexpensive - around five bucks for a one month supply. You can find it at Petco, Petsmart, Walmart, and Target (in store only), as well as at many regional chain stores.

Go to the Feline Pine Website for rebates.

Another Eco-Friendly Tip from Allie