Whether it’s for Earth Day or for the rest of you and your pet’s life, there’s no better time than now to ‘green’ up your pet care routine.
Over the last several years, many of us have become more and more focused on reducing our environmental impact and doing our part in boosting conservation efforts. However, many people forget about their pets when it comes to being more sustainable. Not only will ‘greening’ up your pet care routine help to reduce your pet’s carbon footprint, but also it will both give you a clear conscience and improve your pet’s overall health and well-being.
Let’s get right to it – here are seven simple ways you can ‘go green’ with your pet:
1: Use Biodegradable Bags to Collect Your Dog’s Waste
We now understand how harmful ordinary plastic bags are to the environment, which is why it is important to use biodegradable bags to collect your dog’s waste. These types of ‘green’ bags will decompose in just months, which is much better for the environment.
2: Switch to Biodegradable Kitty Litter
Kitty litter that is made from clumping clay is not only bad for the environment, but there are also several chemicals added to this type of litter that can hurt your cat. There are numerous types of eco-friendly alternatives out there, including litter made of plant sources such as wheat, or recycled newspaper.
3: Consider Composting Pet Waste
This may not be an option for everybody, but if you already have the good habit of composting, it may be something to consider. Be aware that animal waste does contain nasty bacteria that can contaminate soil, so it is important to use a garbage bin as a pet composter and keep it as far away from your flower or vegetable gardens.
4: Don’t Throw Fur Away after Grooming
After you brush your pet, place the fur in a basket outside instead of stuffing it into the trash. Birds will love it and use it as prime nest-building material!
5: Feed Your Pet a Natural/Organic Pet Food
Natural pet foods provide more nutrients, are preserved with natural substances, and are minimally processed. Furthermore, they do not contain any artificial colors or other harmful additives and organic pet foods do not use pesticides, hormones, antibiotics or genetically engineered ingredients.
6: Try Recycled Toys
Next time you go to buy your pet a new toy, look for ones made out of recycled materials or sustainable fibers. This is a great way to lessen your pet’s carbon impact and also helps protect your pet from dangerous chemicals in many plastic chew toys and bedding.
7: Conserve Water
When giving your pet a bath, try using a handheld attachment that turns on and off instead of leaving the spigot running. We also recommend you use warm (not hot) water to save energy, and select shampoos and grooming products that are phosphate-free and with no damaging chemicals.
As you can see, there are many things you can do in order to ‘green’ up your pet care routine. So next time you head to the store to pick up a new bag of food, toy, litter or waste bags, make a conscious decision to choose eco-friendly products that will help reduce your pet’s carbon paw print.
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