There is a large amount of information available today on how to be eco-friendly in almost every aspect of life. To be a more responsible pet owner, I did a little investigating on the internet to find steps I can take to help the environment while hopefully improving the lives of my pets. I was not surprised to find an overwhelming amount of information but was pleasantly surprised to find a wide range of topics to choose from on the subject. There was information available on how to easily change or replace a few of your pet’s day-to-day items such as:

• Buying organic or vegetarian food and treats for birds, cats, dogs and other small animals such as: natural organic cat nip.
• Purchasing toys and collars that are made with hemp and other organic materials in lieu of nylon, which is made from petroleum.
• Replacing regular pet beds with those filled with recycled products.
• Fill your cat’s litter box with organic wheatgrass kitty litter.
• Treat your pets to a bath featuring organic shampoo, conditioner and soap.

I found the above information to be interesting, helpful and feasible. Making a few changes to items you regularly use with your pets to make a difference in the world seemed reasonable. Further investigating turned up a few items that were a bit outlandish:

• A cat toilet is available for those who want a self-flushing, self-washing cat box. Waste is disposed of in the septic tank or sewage system, just like human waste.

Where this idea seems good in theory, the idea of walking in on your cat taking care of business in your own bathroom seems a bit disturbing.

• To keep from having to dispose of pet waste in the garbage, an in-ground pet waste disposal system is available for purchase.

Although this idea seems a bit high-maintenance, after the initial hassle of installing the system, the idea actually could be a good way to keep lawns and play areas sanitary while effectively and responsibly disposing of pet waste.

• There are eco-friendly pet homes for rabbits, chickens and other small animals made of materials that do not contain toxoplasma. 

While this is a good idea, it made me curious if a product of this nature is really necessary or better than other pet homes on the market. This is something I would have to investigate further to make a better decision.

I found there is a website dedicated to combing the web to find you the most environmentally friendly products for you and your pets. There is also a site devoted to finding you the most appropriate and environmentally friendly pets – most were small in size and would eat fresh food from your garden such as: hermit crabs, chickens, bunnies and snakes. Most eco-friendly pet sites stressed that those shopping for an animal, recycle by adopting from a pet shelter as opposed to going to a breeder. I enjoyed the search for ways to be a more eco-friendly pet owner and will search more in the future to find ways to incorporate ideas into my pet’s lives. However, buyer beware, one downside I found was that eco-friendly does not necessarily mean budget-friendly.

By David Greenwood