What would we do without our fluffballs of joy? Whether they’re sleeping, drooling, chewing, scratching, or knocking down lamps with their tails, our pets are some of the best friends we have. But like the two-legged members in the family—and we mean humans, not parakeets—dogs and cats can also harm the earth.
If worrying about Spot and Puff’s greeness isn’t something you have time for, relax: Reducing carbon pawprints is a snap. A few simple measures can make your pets healthier, and keep the planet much happier. Just try some of the steps below.
Spay today. Some 3,000 kittens and puppies are born every hour in the U.S. each year. As many as 8 million unwanted dogs and cats wind up at animal shelters and about 4 million of them are euthanized annually because no one will adopt them.
What do the numbers have to do with the environment? Pet overpopulation is cruel to animals — and bad for the earth, too. Feral and abandoned pets suffer hunger and disease, foul waterways with their feces, and chase away or kill wildlife. No bones about it: spaying is the best thing you can do to solve what many experts call a pet overpopulation crisis. Spaying is affordable, kind, and helps animals and nature in equal measure.
Don't buy that doggie in the window. Yes, they’re adorable and worthy of a 1950s radio hit. But all-too-many canines at pet stores come from puppy mills—operations run by unscrupulous breeders who profit from producing as many animals as they can, often under terrible conditions. So avert your eyes when you walk by the pet shop. Get thee to a shelter or animal rescue group instead.
Let the heeling begin. Dogs that are off-leash or left to roam are likely to harass, hurt, or kill wildlife — and can get lost, hit by a car, or wind up at the pound.
Felines, meanwhile, are unrivaled bird serial killers. The nation’s 100 million cats kill hundreds of millions of birds each year, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Avoid these woes and keep dogs in check — and cats indoors. An extra benefit: Indoor cats live much longer.
Green the chow. You won’t see these ingredients on the label, but conventional pet foods contain earth-hurting (and dangerous) additives like pesticides, herbicides and hormones. If you see "meat or poultry byproducts" or "reconstituted animal byproducts" on pet food packaging, what you could be getting is waste material from slaughterhouses, including hair and blood. Some pet foods even contain byproducts from “4D” animals: the dead, diseased, dying, or disabled. What to do?
Buy natural organic pet foods. They’re produced in eco-friendly ways and free of harmful chemicals, additives, and drugs.
Go natural. Your pooch and kitty don’t need accessories made of vinyl, a major environmental evil (and instantly shred-able, to boot). Instead, pick up the natural alternatives, made with organic ingredients and produced in sustainable ways. Today’s marketplace is filled with dozens of green organic dog products and cat items, including everything from treats and beds to kitty litter and chews for that gnaw-happy puppy. Try Purrfect Play or one of the many other businesses offering organic pet supplies.
No pile left behind. Dog poop is, well, a mess. Left ignored, it winds up on people’s shoes or (eww) bare feet. It spreads germs and runs into storm sewers and local waterways. And leaving it behind can get you fined, depending on where you live. So make sure to pick turds up — in a biodegradable bag. (You’ll find loads of green poop bags in stores and online, including some that might even be safe to flush down the toilet.) Avoid using conventional plastic bags, which only preserve poo longer at the local landfill.
Here, kitty, kitty. Many cat litters are made from non-biodegradable bentonite clay, which involves eco-damaging strip mining. Even worse, when cats lick their fur and paws they can wind up ingesting silica dust, a carcinogen that can cause lung disease, digestive blockages, and other health problems. What can you do? Use natural, biodegradable litters made with pine or other materials that don’t harm health. A few brands to try: Swheat Scoop, World’s Best Cat Litter, or the many other varieties available at your local green market or online.
Read out more about greening your pets:
Protect Your Pet Without Chemicals
How to Make a Dog Toy from Recycled Pants
How to Make an Eco-Friendly Dog Bed
