Lifestyle Changes: Sustainable Pet Ownership
At first glance, a pet (most typically a cat or a dog) is a bastion of sustainability-most drink only tap water, use the bathroom outdoors which wastes no water, they bathe very little, wear no clothing, and eat pretty much whatever. However, if one re-examines what it means to live a truly sustainable life style, it becomes clear that there is much to be desired in the way of pet ownership. If we are to make a significant change in the way we treat our planet, it is essential to make changes in literally every aspect of our lives. This post will explore how to modify the way we take care of our furry friends so that we (and they) make the least negative impact as possible.
The
most obvious step is to spay or neuter your pet. Not only does this
prevent your pet from contracting cancers of the reproductive tract,
but it vastly reduces the number of unwanted pets in the world. An
ASPCA statistic states that up to 4 million companion animals are
euthanized in the US alone because they have not been adopted and
underfunded shelters simply cannot care for them all. While animal
shelters and humane societies are wonderful social services, wouldn't
it be even better if we didn't need them at all? What happens to all
those euthanized animal bodies? Some are sold to schools for
dissection, some are cremated, but there are undeniably millions of
animal bodies just rotting in a landfill or filling up some mass
grave somewhere like garbage. The financial burden created by all
these unwanted cats and dogs detracts from funding other vital social
services and could be lessened significantly if people seriously
reconsidered the way they live their lives and took the spay/neuter
campaign as a stepping stone to a more sustainable lifestyle.
According
to the ASPCA, about
78.2 million dogs and about 86.4 million cats are owned in the United
States. Some sources estimate that the dogs alone produce 29,000 tons
of waste per day, which ends up in landfills. A study conducted in
San Francisco assessed that nearly 3.5% of the content in the city
landfill was comprised of pet waste. Responsible pet ownership
presently dictates that the human owner pick up the excrement in a
little plastic baggy and throw it away! However, one EPA report
recommends that the best course of action for dealing with pet waste
is to flush it down the toilet. While most of the pet waste bags you
find at pet stores are made of plastic, several companies have
developed flushable pet waste bags so that the city sewage treatment
facility can recycle the water and handle the bio hazardous waste
appropriately, rather than allowing it to fester in landfills for
eternity.
Pet
waste contains E. Coli, Giardia, Salmonella, and can harbor
parasites. If left in a landfill facility, these contaminants will
eventually leach into the ground water and pollute fresh water
environments. Ultimately, the most sustainable pet ownership practice
is not to own a pet at all, but since we can't seem to live without
them, we must explore ways to make our pets greener.
One
service in the NW, Green Pet Compost, offers to remove pet waste from
your home and turn it into fertilizer (for non food plants, at this
point) by combining it with other organic solids such as wood chips
and microbes that break down the solids into usable nutrient rich
material. There are only three other services in the entire US that
currently do this, but it is such a fantastic alternative to throwing
pet waste in a landfill! It really puts a new spin on the old adage
"One man's trash is another man's treasure."
For
cats, sustainable pet ownership is best attained by keeping them
inside. This prevents them from harming native wildlife, each other,
and from going to the bathroom in places where the harmful bacterial
and parasitic agents can leach into the soil. Mother nature is simply
not equipped to process this much waste. We have artificially created
an overpopulation situation and must modify our habits accordingly.
Avoid using clumping cat litter as clay is not a sustainable
resource. The most eco-friendly cat litters are those made from
natural sources such as sawdust. There are also commercial products
made from pine or cedar. Believe it or not, you can even compost your
cats litter (provided that the litter is made from a natural source)
and waste into an odorless fertilizer:
Besides
the disposal of pet waste and the obvious problems associated with
the overpopulation of domesticated animals, the sourcing and
practices of commercial pet foods is a large problem. Pet food
production is very closely linked to livestock production and the
human food system. The protein sources for pet food are frequently
the scraps off the slaughterhouse floor that we wouldn't even put
inside a hot dog! Sustainable pet food options are closely linked
with greener livestock production, but there some things we can do
now to lessen our waste and impact on the earth.
First
of all, stop feeding your dogs and cats so much! Most pet owners are
feeding their pets about 20% more than is required to maintain a
healthy body weight. This will cut down on overall spending, but will
also decrease demand. Ask a veterinarian about appropriate portion
size rather than what is on the back of the bag. Buy only pet foods
that list whole ingredients such as "Chicken, Beef, Lamb,"
etc. rather than ones that list "Crude Protein" since those
that list "Crude Protein" tend to come from the less
sustainable livestock production methods. Also be mindful of the
packaging. Many recycling facilities are unable to process the types
of plastics used in pet food bags so look specifically for brands who
use paper.
Another
great option is to make your own pet food using organic and
sustainably sourced ingredients. You can store the pet food in your
fridge using reusable glass containers so not only are you providing
the best nutrition possible to your pet, you aren't putting the
packaging in the landfill or increasing demand for a product that is
traditionally sourced without the environment in mind.
Dog
owners can also look into vegetarian or vegan pet food options since
dogs are omnivores and do not require animal derived protein sources
as long as they are getting adequate plant based proteins. Cat owners
should be much more careful because taurine, an animal based protein,
is required for normal cardiac function in felines.
In summary, we can drastically lessen our personal impact on the world if we re-think some very basic ways we live. Pet ownership is ingrained into our culture, but it can be improved by addressing the way we dispose of pet waste, the way we feed our pets, and, of course, eliminating the issue of overpopulation by spaying and neutering our pets.
There
are many more ways we can increase our sustainability as pet
owners-what are some that you can come up with?
For
more information on the above topics, please visit:
http://www.annarbor.com/pets/pets-dogs-cats-puppies-kittens-overpopulation-food-sustainability-diet/
I love the idea of flushable doggy bags. I dog-sit for someone who lives downtown, and he uses a plastic doggy bag every time the little guy has to go. I never thought about all those little bags going to the dump, or even what happened to the animal waste. Can animal refuse be composted? Thanks for the ideas!
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