Holistic Select Chicken Meal and Rice dog food is made with certified organic chicken and amaranth as well as other natural ingredients such as rice, fruit, vegetables, and oils. This is ideal if you are looking for a way to provide natural, healthy meals for your pet, without having to go to the trouble of preparing the food yourself.

Holistic Select is a small, family owned company who has been making pet food since the 1980s. They add various natural supplements to their products such probiotics, kelp, and yucca.

Organic Ingredients

• organic chicken
• organic amaranth

The free range, certified organic chicken used in this dog food is raised without the use of hormones, antibiotics or growth stimulants. It also contains certified organic amaranth which provides a good source of amino acids, linoleic acid, and protein.

Fruit and Vegetables

• peas
• carrots
• apples
• alfalfa
• dandelion
• kelp

Other Ingredients

• brown rice
• barley
• fish meal
• pork meal
• oatmeal
• dried eggs
• flaxseed
• canola oil
• cheese meal
• yucca
• chicory root extract
• beta carotene
• garlic

Holistic Select Dog Food is available online at Pet Deli. Use their search function (click on the link on the top navigation menu) and search for "chicken meal and rice" in quotes and you’ll find it.

Pet Deli delivers to Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane as well as many regional areas. Contact them about delivery to your area.

Delivery is free to Sydney Metro for orders over $50.

Some dogs and cats are allergic to the additives and preservatives in regular dog and cat food. This can lead to severe health problems for your pet or minor problems such as skin irritations. If your pet is suffering from allergies or other health problems, you could try changing their diet to include natural and organic food which is additive, preservative, and pesticide free.

Sassy Treats is a Sydney based company who makes organic pet food for dogs, cats, and horses.

Sassy Treats is a comprehensive, and specialist range of organic, additive-and-preservative-free menus for dogs, cats and horses, proven to alleviate allergic reactions, improve behaviour, and nurture well being in pets.

Specialised diets for dogs and cats with particular health needs are catered for (with pancreatic, and weight issues the most commonly addressed).

We use premium raw meats and fish with organic grains, fresh vegetables and free-range eggs. All meals are fortified with cold pressed oils and natural supplements for happy, healthy, shiny eyed, energetic dogs and cats with great breath and beautiful coats.

Sassy Treats provide balanced meals and snacks which are hand made, organic, natural, and made with human grade ingredients.

They were recent finalists for a number of business awards:

• City of Sydney Best Innovative Business 2006
• Fuji Xerox My Business Best Small Business 2006
• Champion of Champions Best Specialised Small Business NSW/ACT 2006

They also run their business with the environment in mind:

Sassy Treats is committed to the belief that the cycle of health in the well being of animals, humans and the environment is interlinked. All packaging is biodegradable or recyclable. A water tank provides most water used in manufacturing. Energy used is from renewable resources. To off-set harmful emissions from the delivery vehicle, Sassy Treats annually plants 17 mixed species trees to absorb greenhouse emissions, tackle salinity, improve water quality, and provide habitat for native Australian species through “Greenfleet”.

As a proudly Australian business, organic ingredients are sourced - not only for the superior nutritional value and lack of synthetic hormones, but for the environmentally ethical, and cruelty-free farming practices .With the exception of fish, (due to supply and demand restrictions) all components of Sassy Treats products, from the ingredients to the packaging, labelling and distribution, are specifically sourced to reiterate the definition of the best Australian attitude in supporting Australian land, farmers, manufacturers and businesses.

You can buy directly from them plus there are a few stockists around the country. The only negative I can see is their very, very poorly designed website which doesn’t even work in Firefox. I think they need a professional website which will most likely lead to more sales for them.

For a while I was recommending some organic pet food from a US site. This wasn’t very convenient and too expensive for most people, including myself, so after a bit of searching I have found an Australian site with some organic dog and cat food.

Pet Deli sells high quality natural and holistic pet food as well as pet health care products and some accessories. Most of the brands are well known and contain less water and fillers than some brands you will find in the supermarket. The prices are comparable with what you would pay at the vet but is a good option if you like the convenience of buying online. Delivery takes 3 to 4 days and is free to the Sydney metro area for orders over $60. Delivery elsewhere is charged at Australia Post rates.

Eagle Pack is the only brand with organic ingredients such as organic chicken, organic quinoa, and organic dandelion. The ingredients list doesn’t state the percentage of ingredients which are organic and it looks to be a fairly small portion. Nevertheless, they are worth a try if you want to feed your pet organic food. Quite a few supplements have been added to keep your pet healthy. These include kelp, antioxidants, omega 3, and omega 6, depending on the product. All ingredients are listed on the site and even though it doesn’t say the chicken is organic in the ingredients list, the owner of the site assured me it is certified organic.

Visit Pet Deli for more information on their products.

I’m not sure that I want to buy organic food for my two cats. They are both 17 years old and relatively healthy after eating a diet of regular canned food and dried food bought from the supermarket. They have never been sick in their life and have only had to go to the vet for their annual checkups and a couple of times after run-ins with cars. Maybe they have been lucky but they have managed fine with convention food, although in the last couple of years they have refused to eat anything but the most expensive brands or fresh chicken meat. I think if I was to get another cat (I’m not a dog person) then I would probably go for more natural products such as those provided by Eagle Pack. Maybe it’s going over the top but it seems healthier.

Aside from food I have seen some great organic pet toys. They look great and contain organic ingredients. I’m sure they would be great for keeping your dog or cat entertained.

Organic Dog Toys

I think these Simply Fido organic dog toys are gorgeous. They are available as squeaky toys, soft animal toys, and dog bone shapes. They are made from organic fabrics which are unbleached and untreated. They have been dyed using natural dyes. I think they are great but I don’t have a dog so won’t be getting any.

Organic Cat Toys

My cats struggle to get off the couch, let alone chase after toys but you might be interested in these organic cat toys if you have a young cat. These organic catnip toys contain certified organic catnip. If you don’t know, catnip is a herb which attracts cats. Many cats love it (though generally not kittens less than 3 months old or senior cats) and will chew it or roll in it. It is kind of like a drug for them and it can drive some cats crazy - in a good way. It’s completely harmless and non toxic so there is no need to worry if you cat starts acting strangely. Plus the effects tend to wear off in 5-10 minutes or so. They can then become sleepy and take a nap. There is also this toy mouse which is filled with organic catnip. Either should be fun for your cat.

Update: Only Natural Pet Store does not deliver to Australia, sorry.