http://www.care2.com/greenliving/green-pets-a-quick-overview.html
Green Pets: A Quick Overview
By Kelli Best-Oliver, Green Options
A frequently overlooked area when it comes to greening your life is greening your pet’s life. This can be a tricky subject, since what works best to keep your pet healthy and happy may not always be an ecofriendly decision. Luckily, there are easy ways to make sure that Fido leaves a lighter pawprint.Where you get your pet can have the biggest overall impact. Rescuing a pet from a shelter or the Humane Society gives an already existing pet a good home and the possibility of a happy life. Why pay a breeder to create another animal? Accordingly, heed Bob Barker’s sage wisdom: remember to help control the pet population; have your pet spayed or neutered.
Just like human food choices, your pet’s diet has an impact on our environment. However, pet owners know that diet is crucial to your pet’s health, and can be very particular to a pet. Always check with your vet when changing pet foods. That being said, there are organic, humane, and sustainably-produced pet foods on a market–in fact, it’s a fast-growing niche. Whole Foods, Wild Oats, and Trader Joe’s have their own lines of pet foods, and there are plenty of other sources online.
All that food has to go somewhere, as pet owners know. Pick up your dog’s poop with biodegradable doggy bags. Better yet, compost it. Yeah, yeah, I know you aren’t supposed to compost pet waste. However, that rule generally goes for compost that is going to be used on edible plants, like a veggie garden–using that compost on landscaping or flowerbeds is fine. If the thought of adding poo to your pile still makes you cringe, create a whole separate compost just for pet waste. Bury a metal garbage can for a securely-contained poo pile. For your feline friends, avoid clay-based litters–the clay is strip-mined, and the dust from the clay can irritate your cat’s lungs. A much more sustainable choice is Swheat Scoop, a wheat-based scoopable litter. Should your precious pal leave a not-so precious present for you on the carpet, there are plenty of eco-friendly pet-odor eliminators, from such companies as Mrs. Meyer’s.
Finally, choose greener pet items when shopping for your pet. Scratching posts, toys, and leashes all come in more sustainable varieties.
Green Options Media is a network of environmentally-focused blogs providing users with the information needed to make sustainable choices. Written by experienced professionals, Green Options Media’s blogs engage visitors with authoritative content, compelling discussions, and actionable advice. We invite anyone with questions, or simply curiosity, to add their voices to the community, and share their approaches to achieving abundance.
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30 comments
add your comment »Great article, and something I don’t see a lot of coverage on. My kitty loves Swheat Scoop, and my dog loves Newman’s Own organic dog food. We are in the process of exploring vegetarian diets for them both as well. We occasionally cook vegan meals for our dog using an excellent cookbook called Vegetarian Dogs with lots of recipes and nutrition information.
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Crystal,
Don't have any tips for getting your cats to eat a variety of things, but, yes, I think rice is just a filler, and, ultimately, not good for the cats. Nowhere in nature are cats going to find a cooked grain. I'd definitely stay away from it if I were you. From what I've read, carnivores don't produce the enzyme to break down starches/carbs. Or, at least, not in the amount needed to utilize all the grain that is contained in the average cat food.
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I've been using "Worlds Best Cat Litter" for years and my cats and I love it. It's made from corn so it's safe and biodegradable. Although the actual bag may cost more than similar sizes of other litters, it seems to last longer and be a better value in the long run. We tried Swheat Scoop and many other kinds and this definitely works better and it doesn't get all gross and stuck to the bottom of the box. They also have a customer rewards program where you send in your UPCs and they send you back coupons.
PS - not all cats hate citrus, mine drinks my orange juice right out of my glass if I don't watch her! And definitely don't use mint to try and repel a cat, they LOVE mint (catnip is part the mint family) put a few drops of peppermint oil on yourself and your cat won't leave you alone.
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I've weaned my indoor cat from clay to sweatscoop, adding more each time. Although she prfers to pee on Anything left on the floor, including, but not only, any type of floor rug :( The dogs and cats have been nourshing my bushes and flower beds, forever :)
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- using 100% recycled newspaper cat litter "closes the recycling loop" - isn't quarried - and can be composted :)
- organic pet food doesn't contain chemical residues and is higher in nutrients, which keeps your pets healthier and is better for the planet
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Yesterday's News is made from...SURPRISE...biodegradable newsprint minus the ink. The gazillion-plus cats who frequent our little neighborhood shelter/sanctuary LOVE the stuff and for once, even I, a former journalist, find the newspaper "absorbing." LOL!
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I've a question for you guys. My cats have always been picky, rejecting IAMS, Eukanuba, Science Diet, etc etc. Finally they seemed to be willing to eat chicken, tuna and salmon from Fancy Feast... and then of course, I learned... not good for them.
I've been experimenting with the the better foods, and only trying those that are grain free and gluten free and finally have gotten them to eat Natural Balance Salmon... I want them to eat more than Salmon but so far, everything I've tried, they've rejected... I literally read labels like a hawk these days and have gotten them so many chicken (which they like real chicken but not in cat food unless it's Fancy Feast) high end, expensive cans to try, only to have them rejected.
I usually reject the ones that have rice in them, because to me that's a grain, but I'm getting desperate to find them something besides the salmon to eat. I was reading on the Newman's site that rice was something they ate naturally or something like that, although my cats won't eat the Newman stuff either.
So I'm wondering what people think of all this rice added to cat food -- am I right to think it filler? Or is it good for the cats?
I'm okay on the dry food - for treats they get Blue Buffalo Wilderness, T/D dental
Plus dry food, they get a mixture of Core/Evo
Obviously I don't trust anyone company to take care of all their needs.
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loved the tips!!
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i try my best to have an eco kitty, but she just doesn't seem to want to pee or poop in eco friendly litter. she prefers the gross generic clumping litter...
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I find that the sawdust versions tend to track all around the house and stick to their behinds. I want something that is biodegradable but my cat does not like the texture of Feline Pine. Any suggestions?
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