THE ORGANIC PET
Contributed by Kim Ridgeway, CEO Meyer Country Farms, Ltd.
What we feed our beloved pets is as important as what we put into our own bodies. The American public is becoming more health-conscious and this attitude includes their pets. A recent survey by the American Veterinary Medical Association revealed that nearly 50% of the respondents considered their pets as members of the family. Most of the remaining viewed them as pets/companions. The AVMA reported that 58.3% of all households own at least one pet and 60% of the pet-owning homes actually own more than one pet.
These numbers create a huge buying market; companies are vying for a slice of the estimated 31 billion dollars that is spent on pets, annually in the US. A recent article in the June 2003 issue of "Natural Foods Merchandiser" provided some insight into the changing buying habits. In the natural products stores' category, there was a 16% increase in the sale of pet products in 2002, with a 9% growth in organic sales. These increases are encouraging, and will hopefully continue to rise.
Many of the benefits which result from people eating organic foods will hold true for pets as well. Clearly the pesticides, insecticides and other poisons that humans avoid, should also be removed from the diets of our special pets.
So, where do you find good, wholesome, organic pet food and treats? When shopping at a large grocery store outlet or pet food warehouse, you might find yourself empty handed. One alternative is to focus on the smaller pet food stores as well as doing searching on www.TheOrganicPages.com. Just as in other important areas of concern in our life, reading labels and gathering information will help.
Sources:
"The Natural Foods Merchandiser", Penton Publication - June 2003 issue
"Association of American Feed Control Officials", Official Publication 2003
Kim Ridgeway CEO
Meyer Country Farms Ltd.
P.O. Box 15551
Scottsdale, AZ 85267
kimr@meyercountryfarms.com
|