Eco-friendly tips for keeping a healthy pet and planet
Our health is directly tied to the planet’s health, and that goes for our pets too.
We learned about carbon footprints in school and how the individual choices we make can affect the environment around us. But did you know this also extends to the choices we make for our beloved animal companions at home?
In 2024, about 12.2 million Canadian households had cats or dogs living under their roofs. From what we feed them to how we entertain them, there are many ways pet owners can be environmentally conscious while still giving their furry friends the best possible care.
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Food
The reason cats and dogs have a much bigger carbon ‘pawprint’ than other common household animals, such as rabbits, is because they have meat-centric diets. It is important to note that while dogs can eat non-meat foods and stay reasonably healthy, cats are obligate carnivores.), which means they can only get the nutrients they need to stay healthy and survive by eating meat.
According to the United Nations, red meat production is among the highest emitters of greenhouse gases in the world.
Some ways to be more environmentally conscious while making sure your cat or dog is still getting their required protein are to buy foods that use white meat, such as chicken or turkey, or sustainably sourced seafood as the main protein source.
There are also more brands on the market now that are certified sustainable, which means they have high environmental, social, ethical, and economic standards that they follow, although these brands usually come at a higher cost to the buyer.
Always make sure to consult with a veterinarian about your animal’s diet, not only to make sure they’re getting the right balance of nutrients, but also to make sure you’re not overfeeding them. Overfeeding your cat or dog is hard on your wallet, the environment, and their health.
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Litter and waste
Always make sure to clean up after your dog when outside. Dog waste can be harmful to the environment, as it could contain parasites and pathogens that could make other dogs and wildlife sick. The waste also contains nitrogen, which could leach into the surrounding soil and water, harming aquatic systems.
For cats, clay litter can be harmful due to the dust it produces when stirred up. When inhaled, the dust can irritate the cat’s airways, causing coughing fits or asthma attacks.
The mining process required to make clay litter, as well as silica-gel litter, an upcoming alternative, is harmful to the environment in that it requires the earth to be stripped away, causing increased erosion to the area.
Try to opt for a non-clay or silica-gel alternative, such as wheat, recycled paper pellets, or wood pellets.
Also try using compostable bags to put the waste in. Many municipalities will accept pet waste as part of their composting programs, but be sure to check with your municipality first.
Enrichment
Getting toys to keep your furry companions entertained doesn’t need to be expensive or wasteful—find ways to recycle old materials at home to create a fun toy instead!
The David Suzuki Foundation recommends using braiding scraps of fabric together to create a pull toy for dogs or making a fun maze out of cardboard boxes for your cats (this is also great for other small animals).
When you do buy toys, consider buying ones that are made using natural materials that are biodegradable or recyclable after your pet is done with them.
It’s our responsibility to take care of not only our animals but also the environment we live in. Luckily, those two can go hand-in-hand with the choices we make, and at the end of the day, a healthy planet means healthy lives for us and our animal companions.
Thumbnail image courtesy of Wina Cameron-Reid.