In case you haven’t noticed, the economy is in the shitter. So it’s more important, now than ever, to support local small businesses. It won’t just help the business but help the community as more money that is spent there will stay within the community. So I’ll be highlighting some of my favorite places around Bloomington.

I’ve heard a lot of people say, “I can get that cheaper at Walmart.” And I get that. Believe me, I’m poor. Like, really really poor. So no, I don’t eat all organic. I don’t shop solely at the Farmer’s Market. But that’s why I want to highlight some awesome places that anyone can support. And as for Walmart, there’s a classic case of you get what you pay for.

So the first place I wanted to feature is T&T Pet Food and Supply located way down South Walnut, where students don’t dare venture. I actually just went for the first time the other day. Mabel, the cat, was about to run out of food and I didn’t really want to drive out into the congestion of College Mall to buy her food at Petco. So I decided to stop in here and hope they had her brand and expecting to pay more for the convenience factor.

This store has any and every type of food that your dog or cat needs. And honestly, if they don’t sell it then your pet shouldn’t be eating it. They carry healthy, natural, holistic foods and everything you need for special diets. Naturally, get the holistic fully organic stuff and it will set you back quite a bit.

In fact, a short plug for my cat’s food. Natural Balance. I did quite a bit of research because I didn’t want to feed my cat crap food but I’m also not a billionaire. This brand fit the bill. It’s completely natural and has a much healthier ingredient list. While the regular food didn’t quite agree with Mabel, the limited ingredient line works great. Some things I’ve noticed and were also mentioned by other reviewers of the product: healthier coat (seriously my cat has the softest fur ever), weight control (the cats aren’t filling themselves with crappy junk food), and they actually eat less! Because it’s more filling. At $14 a bag (which I buy about once a month) it’s about half as much as Science Diet and other similar brands that claim to be good. Check those ingredients and see what you are actually paying more for.

But back to this store! The prices are comparable to the major chains and they have a loyalty program for food. Buy 10 bags and get the 11th free. They also had lots of fun cat toys, one of which Mabel is currently enjoying. They also have a big orange cat named Maurice who slept right on the counter while I paid and enjoys waking up to “talk” to customers. As their sign says, family owned for 42 years.

It’s always great to discover a new place. It’s even better when the place is locally owned, just as cheap or cheaper, and actually more convenient for me to get to!