By Lori Blake

Fido thinks your kitchen chair leg is perfect woodcarving material.   And your open floor plan?  Makes a top-notch racetrack.  Oh but we love him don’t we?  Our pets are beloved members of the family and we want to take care of them the best we can.  There are some easy ways to take care of our furry friends and the environment at the same time.

1. Good fences make good neighbors – Keep your dogs and cats contained.  If it is not feasible to have them in the house, keep them in an outdoor kennel, or fenced-in area.  This will help protect native wildlife as well as protect your pet.
2. Scoop up the doo – Use biodegradable doggie poop bags. If you are a cat owner, avoid clumping clay litter like the plague.  The clay sediment is filled with carcinogenic silica dust that can coat your kitty’s lungs and it’s not really good for you either.  Also, the sodium bentonite which serves as the clumping agent can poison your cat eventually.  It acts like expanding cement and can clog your cat’s insides.  Eco-friendly cat litters avoid these problems.  Some have suggested using shredded mail and paper in your cat’s litter box.  It’s not only safer for Fluffy, but you are recycling paper too.
3. Cut the junk food – Many pet-food brands are made of reconstituted by-products likes low-grade wastes from the beef and poultry industries.  Look for FDA-certified, food-grade meat on the label because nutrition isn’t just for humans.  Our pets need to eat better to maintain a healthier coat and a healthier lifestyle.  Our goal is to have them with us as long as possible, right?  Certified-organic pet food is a great alternative because it meets strict USDA standards, which means no pesticides, hormones or artificial preservatives.  Try greenpet.com and greendogpetsupply.com for the latest green pet products.
4. Compost the doo doo – Dogs and cats in America create 10 million tons of waste a year, and no one knows where it’s going, according to Will Brinton, a scientist in Mount Vernon, Maine.  You do not want to use the compost with your vegetable garden, because the compost doesn’t heat up enough to kill pathogens possibly leading to E. coli.  Go to http://www.plantea.com/dog-waste-compost.htm and find out how to make your own pet-waste composter.  This can be used in your ornamental garden area.  By the way, dog waste is not allowed in garbage bins.
5. Adopt from a shelter – 70,000 puppies and kittens are born every day in the United States so there are plenty to choose from.  If you buy, try to make sure your pet isn’t the result of over breeding, overcrowding, poor veterinary oversight and miserable living conditions, all common practices of puppy mills.  Just another great reason to adopt an animal from a shelter.
6. Spay or neuter your pet -  We don’t need any more homeless animals roaming around and there’s a side benefit for your pet.  Dogs and cats typically live longer, healthier lives by removing the chance of uterine, ovarian and testicular cancer.
7. Recycled doggie toys – Instead of buying new dog toys, use old things like socks, towels, and blankets that you were going to just throw away anyway.  You know Fido.  He thinks his tail is pretty exciting to play with, so an old towel?  He’ll be in doggie heaven.

George Eliot once said “Animals are such agreeable friends – they ask no questions – they pass no criticisms.”  For that, don’t we owe them the best quality of life possible?  After giving your pet lots of love and attention going green is a good follow up.

Related posts:

1. Going Green: A Pet Project
2. Kids Can Go Green
3. Green Your Meals…go beyond the Farmer’s Market
4. A Really Clean Home: 3 Simple Steps
5. Healthy, Green and Clean