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A veterinary blog for pet lovers, vet voyeurs and the medically curious...
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Today is Earth Day and it’s a great time to consider the impact of our household pets on the planet and what we humans can do to reduce their “carbon pawprints.”
Yes, it’s true. Households with pets have larger carbon footprints than others. Pet loving homes tend to consume more foods, generate more waste and utilize energy at higher rates. Nonetheless, there are a number of steps pet owners can take to curb their carbon cravings. Here are my top eleven:
1-If you have a choice (if your pet doesn’t require prescription foods), buy pet foods produced closer to home. Though manufacturer’s labels often tell only part of the story, foods packaged nearby tend to require less fuel.
2-Use clay or sand litters for your cats. It takes less petroleum to bring these products to market. Even better, use shredded newspaper to save on shipping. For exotics, buy the recycled, biodegradable shavings instead of the cedar or cypress chips (they weigh less, too, so shipping's cheaper).
3-Cook for your pets or supplement their commercial diets with locally grown meats and produce. (Easier said than done, I know.)
4-Feed dry over canned foods, if possible. Less packaging material is required and the shipping differences are dramatic. With today’s high quality kibble, you need not fear your pets are losing out, health-wise (as long as you select wisely).
5-Compost your pets’ leftover foods instead of trashing them—and don’t ignore the fertilizer potential of some of our less traditional pets’ droppings. My goats, for example, produce excellent plant power via poop.
6-Don’t excessively warm or chill your home for your pets while you’re out. They mostly don’t mind the difference and they’ll find the warm and cool spots in your home easily if you set the thermostat at a balmy 80-85 in the summer and a snug 60-65 in the winter (if it's cold where you live).
7-Use stainless steel forever-bowls for your pets. You’ll never need to replace them.
8-Brush your pets daily to reduce your vacuum energy needs (and make her coat shine, while you’re at it). Consider storing her fur to have it spun it into yarn for your next knitting project (you can find online sources for this service).
9-Turn off the lights and the TV while you’re away. They see better in the dim light than we do. If your pets require soothing sound therapy, use a simple CD player or radio.
10-Recycled cardboard scratching posts are excellent and re-recyclable. Give them a go instead of the standard carpet-coated kind.
11-Never buy exotics sourced from the wilds and get your pets locally; there are are enough throwaways and rescues around to last us all through 2020.
OK you've got more, I know it...give it up...
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"The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated."
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- Mohandas Gandhi
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"4-Feed dry over canned foods, if possible. Less packaging material is required and the shipping differences are dramatic"
In the case of cats, this is absolutely horrible advice. Unless, of course, you want to sacrifice your pets health in the name of environmentalism.
Please visit Dr. Lisa Pierson's website
http://www.catinfo.org/
To read why dry food is such an awful, species-innapropriate choice for your cat.
Also read:
http://www.yourdiabeticcat.com/
and
http://www.gorbzilla.com/hodgkins.htm
To learn how dry food is fueling the feline diabetes epidemic.
None of this is to say that canned food is perfect. We now know that chemicals associated with canned food are implicated in the development of feline hyperthyroidism. But I think its the lesser of two evils if you can't make homemade food for your cat.
For information on homemade catfood visit Dr. Pierson's website above or
http://www.catnutrition.org
Another good alternative to homemade food is Feline's Pride:
http://www.felinespride.com
The idea that there's a smidge of anything edible left in their bowls just makes me giggle, but OK, I'll try. :)
<i>7-Use stainless steel forever-bowls for your pets. You’ll never need to replace them.</i>
Stainless steel will keep water in the water bowl cooler for a bit longer too, I think. Not only that but they are much cleaner looking than plastic bowls (my childhood dog had plastic bowls and I remember it being stained from food and the edges nibbled on a little).
I know I don't keep my heat on high....with 4 of 6 cats sleeping on or next to me it's better than an electric blanket!
I have to third the dry for cats comments simply because of the changes I have witnessed in my own animals(and in those who have gone wet/raw) over the past years. It's hard to argue with results and the fact that my vet recommends the very diet Dr. Pierson endorses makes it all the more easy.
In my case I prefer to buy humanely-raised locally grown meats and organic produce (sustainable farming reduces methane production & chemical use) and grind several pounds at a time for both my cats and dog. I package in glass pyrex & freeze thus reusing the containers over and again. If one breaks, it gets recycled. While this might sound extensive, it only takes about 4 hours to process 100 lbs of meat and the price ends up being cheaper than premium processed foods when buying in bulk like that. The effort is worth it to me to know I am contributing to not only the health of my own animals but to that of the animals who gave their life to benefit my "kids".
While not directly carbon related, here's a couple more I might add in honor of earth day:
Using bio-degradeable poop bags.
Corn Litters are a natural, reneweable, petro-free resource, are relatively light-weight and is compostable when feces are removed.
Hemp & Organic Cotton collars are durable, chemical-free and are actually getting cute these days. They can be recycled when done.
Organic cotton/hemp pet beds. Too spendy? The fabric is inexpensive and easy to find these days. Sew them yourself or pay a local seamstress or family member to sew it for you thus contributing to their cottage industry and passion as well.
One more idea...a doggie septic tank (like a "doggie dooley")…is probably better than bags when you can manager it.
So far, Kitty's favorite is a string tied to a piece of elastic.
I'm apparently also in the minority when it comes to the leftovers. My dogs leave em sometimes. And I'm unwilling to let it sit in the bowls until they're hungry later--yuck!
Re: kitty kibble. I'll admit, I'm an enabler. Thought about raw, but not at this point.
Wet food has also been found to have its issues (risk factor for hyperthyroidism, for example). I think the jury's still out on the wet v dry issue.
Apparently the people that run these sites have no clue that essential oils are toxic to cats. My right nostril has been flaring for the past two days because of these sites that are trying to make a fast buck on the organic wave. I didn't set out to see these sites, I've been on the search for organic towels or organic blends of towels that are NOT made in China ( cotton/ bamboo or cotton/hemp) and all these sites keep popping up in my searches.
I wonder how many cats are going to be poisoned by these ignorant site owners. Save the world, kill your pets! Not a moto that should rolling off of pet owners tongues. It's right up there with the PetCo slogan that a bunch of former co-workers came up with... "Pet Co, where the pets go to die!"