If you’re happily forging ahead with recycling and making your home environmentally friendly, have you thought that you should also be looking for ways to make your pet green? Pets can contribute to environmental issues so there’s no reason they can’t have a healthy, natural sustainable lifestyle just like the rest of the family. Eco-friendly pet care is important because, just like products for their human counterparts, they contain inedible animal parts, noxious chemicals and heavy metals – none of which are good for your pet or the environment. Here are some ways to make your pet green – better for them and the earth.
One of the best ways to make your pet green is to change their food. Dry pellets that consist of cardboard, sawdust and other rubbish don’t make our dogs full, give them allergies, are bad for their digestive systems and the environment. Wet food (cans and packets) could contain anything, including pesticide treated crop products and diseased meat. Swap to food that is FDS certified food-grade meat or products that bear the green USDA organic seal. You might also consider making your pet’s diet grain-free for additional health benefits.
Pet grooming is an essential aspect of pet health and regularly grooming is essential. Biodegradable and environment friendly pet shampoo is another great way to make your pet more eco-friendly. It’s far better than standard pet shampoos, which often contain chemicals (such as sulphates) you would avoid when picking products for your own body.
There are many ways to reduce a pet’s carbon footprint, including the choice of their playthings. They won’t know the difference if it cost a fortune or if you made it yourself; all they want to do is play with whatever they can. Making your own pets toys at home will ease pressure on your pocket and the environment. wisebread.com has some great ideas – but check for environmentally-friendly options. There are also companies selling green pet playthings and toys, such as scratching posts made from bamboo and plush babies made from 100% natural fibers.
Clay-based cat litters are harmful – the process of clay mining is hardly good for the environment and the dust from the litter is good for neither cats nor humans. Then when you throw it away later, you are adding to the ever growing issue of non-biodegradable waste. There are some great eco-friendly litter box fillers out there, ones that are made from by-products of wood, which reduce waste on many different sides of the seesaw.
Beds for pets come with a never ending choice of the best accessories. With all their bits and bobs, some people’s pets end up having a better night’s sleep than their human parents. But when it comes to keeping your pet green, it is better to choose bedding wisely. Beds should be made from sustainable materials like reeds or bamboo and make sure their soft bedding comes from hemp, organic wool or recycled materials.
This is a huge problem in different seasons for pet owners whose animals seem to be scratching and scratching all day and all night long. Instead of rushing out to your local vet and purchasing a toxic pesticide that will be absorbed into your pet’s bloodstream, why not try the eco-friendly way first. Fleas live in the environment before they attach themselves to your pets. Use herbal sprays all over the house, especially in wooden floor boards and hard to reach places. Wash all the bedding and the pets with organic flea repellent shampoos as well. You can also tackle the pest problem by making your pet’s skin less tasty to fleas and ticks. Pests don’t like skin that tastes of garlic and B-vitamins, so including these in your pet’s diet helps fight the issue from the inside.
In eco-friendly circles these days, the phrase ‘’BPA Free” is thrown around a lot and for good reason – and when it comes to greening your pet, this is an important consideration. Chemicals that are used in plastic manufacturing like BPA and lead that is used in the manufacturing of ceramic bowls, create the perfect breeding grounds for bacteria. Go for BPA free and lead free ceramics or recycle an old bowl from your kitchen.
We’ve looked at ways to make your pet green by tackling their food, grooming and toys but another key part of a pet’s life are their leads and collars. Dog leads are traditionally made from nylon, which is not eco-friendly in any way. Instead opt for a collar and lead that is made from organic hemp or canvas material. They are still strong enough and will last a long time, even with regular use with a big dog. Hemp is a renewable natural resource which we will be seeing a lot more of in the future; it’s time to get into the 21st century.
Sterilising your animals will go a long way in the journey to making pets eco-friendly. There is a massive overpopulation problem with dogs and cats all over the world, so don’t take the chance of your pet adding to the never ending pile of unwanted, neglected and homeless animals. Sterilising your pet is the responsible thing for every pet owner to do, and support your local shelter before you even consider a breeder’s animal.
You may be wondering why tagging is one of the ways to make your pet green. Did you know that 3-4 million homeless cats and dogs are euthanized every year in the US? The economic cost involved in this is high and with a foothold in environmental issues too. Many resources are required either by animal shelter workers rounding up wandering animals or yourself tracking down a pet without an ID tag – driving around the neighbourhood, printing and pinning paper posters to trees, endless phone calls … an electronic tag is a simple solution.
There are some great ways to make pets more environmentally-friendly and a lot of companies out there to help you do so. How green is your pet?