“GREEN” YOUR PET LIFESTYLE WITH THESE SIMPLE TIPS
There are a few small life changes that you can make today to help reduce your carbon footprint while making your life a bit more eco-friendly. Changes to your dog’s diet, their hygiene routine, and even to their lifestyle can make all the difference!
There are two big lifestyle changes you can make that help the planet. The first one is adoption! Consider adopting a pet from your local shelter. Ask friends and family who are considering a pet to adopt and not shop! Although it’s a bit gimmicky, your social media influence can come in handy. Make a post asking your friends and followers to adopt a pet from a local shelter rather than from a breeder. Note that National Rescue Dog day is on May 20th, making it the perfect moment to post this particular message.
Help control pet overpopulation by neutering or spaying your pet. Spaying and neutering lead to fewer euthanizations of pets every year, as well as fewer fur friends taken to shelters. Reducing the number of cats and dogs can help control the overpopulation in shelters and even decrease euthanizations in the future. If you are strapped for cash, we recommend looking up free spay and neuter programs from your local ASPCA or local pet organizations.
You can reduce your carbon footprint with the following changes to your daily activities. Stop driving your dog to the dog park. Ditch the car every now and then and take the road less traveled. Look for trails near you and start that new adventure. Already doing that? This tip is a fun weekend activity, but it’s definitely worth it. Buy toys made from recycled materials or make your own! You most likely have the materials around the house for some DIY toys, like old t-shirts, rope, cardboard tubes, and even empty cereal boxes. A simple google search will bring up tons of creative ideas for your next toy project.
Spring and summer bring about some warm weather. Take advantage of the season by brushing and grooming your dog outside. Don’t bother cleaning up the excess fur that falls to the ground. Some birds use animal fur to line their nests. Let the fur sit for a few days and allow the birds to use it. You can make access to the fur bundle easier by collecting and placing it in a safe space for your bird friends. There is a caveat to this. DO NOT offer pet hair that has been exposed to chemicals, such as furs recently treated with flea/tick ointment, like Frontline or Advantage. This also extends to shampoos that use chemicals and oils for scents.
Cat friends can be switched to eco-friendly litter, if permissible. Our feline friends are quite finicky and many dislike any change to their regular routine or habits. Owners have reported success in mixing cat litters to help assist with the change. Our eco-friendly litter picks are paper pellets (made from recycled paper) or pine pellets made for felines.
There are a few things you can do to “green” your pet’s food. If your pet is on a more holistic diet, we recommend buying locally. Consider replacing some of their snacks or meals with locally sourced foods. If your pet is on the dry kibble and wet food route, buy food that uses packaging that can be recycled or composted. Our wet food recommendation is to feed your pet products that use an aluminum can packaging...and make sure to recycle that can! About half of our recyclable cans in the US are thrown away rather than recycled...which is ridiculous. Aluminum cans are 100% recyclable and can always be melted down and reused again and again, making them one of the best recyclable products. Aluminum goes in the recycling bin, not the trash. Always steer clear of single-use plastic packaging!
Finally, when changing your pet’s water bowl, use the excess liquid to hydrate your plants. This helps eliminate water waste while giving your plants some much-needed hydration!
Which of these tips have you utilized? Which ones are you excited to try? Let us know in the comments below.