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How To Be A Proactive Eco-Friendly Cat Owner

How To Be A Proactive Eco-Friendly Cat Owner

By Anna Huerta

Some people easily live an environmentally friendly lifestyle. Others may be too overwhelmed even to try, perhaps fearing the high costs or overthinking the effort required. Besides that, people might not even be considering how their pets could add to their household’s environmental impact. However, some simple swaps in your own pet’s, specifically cat’s, lifestyle could help reduce your total carbon footprint. Starting with food, it’s essential to select brands that require fewer resources during the production process, like valuable areas of land or large amounts of water. Some environmentally friendly options include foods made from organic ingredients from companies like Open Farm, Lily’s Kitchen, and ZiwiPeak. It’s also important to check if most of the cat food you buy is produced and processed locally since the organic farming process will help to preserve the land as well as water.

Litter is another crucial thing in your cat’s life that you must think about when it comes to sustainability. One way to lower the waste is to keep the litter box fresh through daily scooping and washing with mild soap along with water. When it finally needs replacement, do your best to get one that’s made from recycled plastic. Another alternative is to look for eco-friendly cat litter brands such as Hartz Multi-Cat Clumping Paper Cat Litter. For cats that can’t go outside due to the pandemic, cat toys are an essential part of caring for them. Toys can help with behavioral issues by providing entertainment through distraction, and they also give them a chance to exercise. So vote with your dollar and tell companies that you want to be more conscious about your impact by purchasing toys that are made from natural materials as well as being filled with organic catnip. Some brands to look into would be Lucky by West Paw Designs, Kitten Mitten, Fuzzy Hedgehog, and Taco Organic Catnip Cat Toy. Also, pick out a toy that will be personally sustainable in the long term for your cat by making sure it’s something that they’ll actually enjoy playing.

Are you wondering about how you’ll deal with the dilemma of a sustainable scratching post? Don’t worry; there’s an easy answer. To maintain the scratching post, just vacuum and trim it frequently. Or you could even try using one made from recycled materials like cardboard. It’s possible to recarpet the scratching post as well. Though bathing your cat may be a difficult task for you to handle, at least make it easier on the environment by getting nontoxic products with natural ingredients to clean your pet. An example of good pet shampoo is the All Natural Earthbath Cat Shampoo & Conditioner in One.  So now that you’ve gotten some ideas on how to care for your feline using methods that will reduce your carbon footprint and environmental impact, take action. As pet populations increase, together, we must do our part to protect the environment with these simple additions to the daily lives of you and your pets.

 

Edited by Alexia Meehan