Eco-friendly Pets

Pets are a family affair. Some households have the full gambit of pets, cats, dogs, fish, hermit crabs, snakes, birds, the whole menagerie. Other households are not pet friendly, their owners being allergic or simply choosing to live pet-free. Naturally, there are households in the middle, with only one or two furry or animal members. Pets tend to be causally overlooked for many people when it comes to living an eco-friendly lifestyle. If you have pets, they can be eco-friendly too! 

So far, my cat, Nicodemus, has mostly been saved from my eco-friendly lifestyle changes. He has so far eaten the same food and played with the same cat toys (see the last post on using what you have!). However, there are eco-friendly options available. Naturally made toys, collars, brushes, bowls, and cleaners are all available. When it comes to waste, there are less options, especially for cat litter, because it can contain bacteria and other problematic wastes. You can compost cat and dog waste, but you have to do so in a separate bin and cannot use it on edible plants. 

With animals other than cats and dogs, feeding your pet naturally may be much easier. Naturally made birdseed, flies, or other animals for feeding snakes, can be obtained in more humane ways. (Fish can be harder.) With cats and dogs, specially made eco-friendly options are available, but they tend to be more expensive. If your cat or dog eat human food on a regular basis, getting low impact human food is the best way to go. Cats and dogs tend to eat a large amount of meat, so that can also be an issue. 

If you already have a pet, look for healthy ways to change their carbon footprint, realizing that you probably cannot go completely zero waste with them. Make good choices for their healthy and quality of life, without trying to push them to suffer. After all, they are part of creation too!

If you are looking to get a pet on an eco-friendly lifestyle, think through the different aspects of that pets' environment or needs first to determine whether that pet will be the right fit for you.