Vetcetera When canine “natural” is not so natural and feline “green” is not so green

Got a pet for whom you prefer a lifetime of chemical-free, ingredient-pure, environmentally-friendly living? Do you seek out “natural” and “green” alternatives for them? Well, consider that you don’t always get what you think you’re paying for when you go for brands that claim such concessions on their labels.

It’s obvious that those of us willing to seek out the best for our pets are beloved by marketers for our willingness to pay more for their products. Whether they be foods, dietary supplements, toys, shampoos or treats, we intuitively understand––as do they––that the ante is upped by our more persnickety choices.

Fair enough. But what keeps a pet manufacturer from making claims to entice us...and failing to follow through?

You know what I’m talking about. You’ve read the labels. They make claims like, “all-natural,” “organic ingredients” and “lite” that make most of us feel good when we purchase them but leave much to be desired on the veracity front.

If only two ingredients are sourced from USDA-certified organic suppliers, is that enough to claim “organic ingredients”? Is it “organic” if the ingredient producers claim organic labeling without USDA certification? Does it alter your perspective to know that organic-labeled pet foods were also recalled in the Menu Foods debacle?

How about this: Is it OK to feed your pets “all natural” ingredients even if most of them came straight out of the rendering plant? I mean, feathers and beaks are natural, too. So are rocks, right? Is Rachel Ray’s “Nutrish” pet foods any more natural or nutritious than the rest, despite its claims?

And how about all those “green” claims? How “green” can it be if the meat’s been produced in an industrial poultry facility in Maryland, the manufacturing plant’s in Canada and the bag’s been shipped to you in California?

Then there are all the cleaners that claim to be “all-natural.” And some are, but others stretch the limits of our credulity when they use chemicals sourced from natural products.According to “Green Little Cat,” a website devoted to keeping felines green, Simple Solution Natural Pet Stain and Odor Remover is one of these borderline products that makes intelligence-insulting claims about its “natural-ness.”

Consider the “eco-friendly” cat litters. My favorite is the one made from recycled newspapers (now marketed by Purina as “Yesterday’s News”). Though my green preference still stands at my mother’s old standby––simple shredded newspaper (far more eco-friendly when you consider the cost of shipping a bag of pelleted litter halfway cross-country).

So now answer me this: If you go out of your way to go green or go natural, how far do you go to make sure you get what you’re paying for?

June 1st, 2009

Add Comment45 Comments

Oh MAN! Thanks for this...I think. I go crazy just thinking about it. I try, but I fail as often as not. What I've come to believe is that it's more important for me to spend time and energy with my animals and not stress too much about the "stuff" I get for them. I mean, the cat eats voles and birds, that's pretty natural, and I'm the one turning green! I like to buy local and support the little guy not the big box store. Yeah, maybe they sell stuff that got shipped up a long ways, but I feel like I'm supporting local business just the same.

This month's best "green movement" here at my farm is that I top dressed all my garden beds with five or ten year old compost from my own manure piles! (Back then there was horse and goat poop as well as cow manure in the mix...and maybe some chicken manure too?!)

My cat goes outside and poops in the sand that I imported to help with drainage in the dog yard. The litterbox is a winter only tool!

LynnO June 1st, 2009 02:51:34 PM

You really have to research the product and the company.

One of the things that I enjoy about one of our local pet stores is that the manager is pretty anal about making sure none of the products contain animal parts from China.

He does a lot of research and has brought in products that are organic and from many US sources instead of from other countries.

Buyers also need to know that just because something says it is "natural" that it doesn't necessarily mean that is great for you or the pet.

One of the things I found that works well is to select smaller companies instead of those owned or managed by larger conglomerates or corporations.

Usually, but not always, you can find better, safer, products when you support the smaller manufacturers.

Find me blogging at Ark Animals...

Ark Lady June 1st, 2009 02:57:35 PM

Going green and holistic? How about raw. You might be interested in www.pethealthcafe.com on Monday nights from 8-9pm EST. They talk about many natural ways to care for your pets. Besides food the programs have covered supplements and flea spoton products. They are out of Pompano Beach, Fla.

Rosalie Weiss June 1st, 2009 03:23:58 PM

how far do you go to make sure you get what you’re paying for?

If you want my loyalty as long as it takes before I open my wallet.

Evet June 1st, 2009 03:36:20 PM

How far do I go? I drive to the farm (46.7 miles) and get the poultry and the beef (and occasionally rabbit), which is certified organic, intended for human consumption. I get them frozen, and if I don't see with my own eyes that it looks like it came from a bird, a cow, or a rabbit, it does not go into my pets. No cans, no bags, no pasty or ground stuff anymore. It's actually not that much more expensive or difficult, once you get the hang of it and can manage bulk frozen foods (lots of freezer space is required for this). You save some money on buying local and not paying shipment. You also save money on not paying all the corporate executives of the commercial companies and their staff (sorry staff). You do pay more for human-grade meat and poultry. It's just another option, that which lets you be in control and not guessing as to the validity of the claims on the label.

Natalie Kramer June 1st, 2009 04:12:21 PM

When it comes to "Yesterday's News" it is far cheaper and more "eco" friendly since the processing plant is within 30 minutes of where I live, I can even bring my old newspaper there, get a couple of dollars and buy my litter there for the cats and ferrets.

Otherwise I buy Canadian dog food so I can keep track if there are recalls involved and supplement with meat from the butcher shop. :)

In the end it's just another trend and I'd rather keep feeding things for my own reasons rather than they're "green, natural etcetc."

Katrina June 1st, 2009 04:21:44 PM

I try to make conscious choices about everything I buy - whether it's food, cosmetics, cleaning products, or anything else - for me, and for my cat. For me, the key is the word "conscious." As much as possible, I try to go with the all natural or environmentally friendly choice, but sometimes, it's either not possible, or just too complicated, or it's simply loyalty to a brand I've used all my life and been happy with. But even if I pick a less than desirable product from an environmental or "natural" standpoint, at least I'm making a deliberate choice to do so, and that's important to me.

I think it comes down to being an educated consumer and not falling for the pretty green labels depiting veggies or scenes from nature without reading the list of ingredients or asking questions about the manufacturing and delivery process.

Ingrid King June 1st, 2009 05:25:47 PM

On the topic of newspaper and the environmental impact of litter transport . . .

I saw something about making yoru own kitty litter on a TV show about saving money. Here is an online description of "how to" do it with newspaper:

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/08/diy-newspaper-cat-litter.php

Never done it myself. If anyone tries it, please post experiences.

Stefani June 1st, 2009 05:32:49 PM

Personally, I think that re-using newspaper for litter is wasteful if one considers the time and additional costs of prepping it, as in that treehugger file. When human energy is used, there's a green cost there too. If you want to use newsprint, better to obtain the end rolls from the paper printer (some still give them away, some charge a nominal cost) and shred it. This paper hasn't been printed on so doesn't need to have the print stripped off of it.

I'm looking forward to having an outdoor area for my cats again. Fully enclosed but open to air so that litter box smell is less of an issue and I can go back to using local sand over dirt that will get rained on regularly. They'll have a traditional box of bad weather but I know they prefer the "outdoor" box too.

Just seems to me the best we can do for pets and environment is to buy locally produced as much as possible. We need to decentralize these processes for so many reasons and then remember those 3 R's although I have 5 R's for my own use: Reduce the amount of packaging, Reduce the amounts needed, REDUCE (get your hands off that, you don't need it!) how much you buy, Reuse, and Recycle.

"how far do you go to make sure you get what you're paying for" Pretty far but not for commercially produced products because there is simply no way for an individual to determine if the corporate entity is telling the truth or not. The current economic failures are the tip of the iceberg of corporate fraud that is running rampant because we've become so centralized there can no longer be much checking on manufacturers.

Oh, and although I'm not a fan of taxation, I do want a "virgin materials" tax that covers the use of virgin instead of recycle products (to even the playing field for recycled) and an environment tax to cover the cost to the environment for things like shipping products half way around the world (to even the playing field for locally produced). When those kinds of costs are taken into account, that Taiwan product is far more expensive to us all.

PJBoosinger June 1st, 2009 06:39:32 PM

OT: So, yesterday, I was looking for the least toxic, environmentally friendly way to remove tree stumps at my new house. Best I've come up with is drill holes in them and build compost heaps over them with cat/dog poop+ash. Anyone have any other suggestions?

PJBoosinger June 1st, 2009 06:47:27 PM

I use feline pine and compost it. I don't think that based on where I live now going "green" with the pets is much of an option. ( stores are not so close) But I do try and product the least amount of waste possible.

LorriM June 1st, 2009 07:05:42 PM

PJB: I tried that years ago--- you'll be dead before the stumps are gone--barter for a backhoe.

I try my best to think "non-toxic" for my dogs. Am I successful? Sometimes. When you have to receive mandatory rabies, you aren't thinking healthy. Then there is Frontline--which is worse Lyme or treatment, I opt for the Frontline. Interceptor --well I use the minimum dose known to prevent HW and discontinue in the Winter.

Dog food? I am jealous of all those that have gone home-made, raw or not--but I barely cook for myself! You hope that the list on the package is close to true, but how can you ever know for sure?

Have not used insecticides, herbicides, cautious with cleaning products & exposures, for years! Sometimes, I think illness & disease can be a "cumulative" effect.

Barbara A./NH June 1st, 2009 07:10:11 PM

Barbara, Thanks for the heads up. I was afraid of that and I'm not known for my patience :)

Psst, I cook for my dogs but am having trouble breaking the take out/frozen dinner habits for me. Don't tell anyone :)

PJBoosinger June 1st, 2009 07:25:38 PM

I do the best that I can for the dogs and ourselves.I only get them toys made in the Usa,never from China.The way they shred things I do not want them ingesting anything toic.However,there is no way I would ever have time to do a raw food diet.My sheperd mix is 12 years old and plays like a puppy and has never been sick a day in his life so Nutro seems to work for him and the two younger dogs.

Susan H June 1st, 2009 08:30:25 PM

I agree with you 100%, Ingrid, and I also think that a bit of skepticism is called for with any kind of branding. The point is for people to sell their products, and if need be, they'll work with whatever weaknesses are in the system to pull in the buyer. As for reading labels, buying from small companies, trying to avoid China as a food source...one is still at the mercy of any loopholes and, well, you can do as much research as you think you need, and still end up with a questionable product. By the way, it's fine to single out China, but what about the other sources with marginal or non-existent quality controls.

We take risks with most items that we purchase. Commercial raw diets? They are still processed. The vitamins and minerals added to make them balanced diets? Processed. Same goes for everything else we don't grow and manufacture ourselves. It is frustrating because most of us would like to feel, without any doubt, that our choices are as smart as we want them to be. Doing the best we can, and doing it 'consciously' feels like the way to go for me.

Stump removal? What worked best for me was a professional. They'll remove the stumps 'surgically' with a stump jumper. Expensive, but efficient.

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