Ask anyone who has them—pets are part of the family. And they can go green, too. Pets rely on you to take care of them, so make sure you do that in a way that protects their health and treads lightly on the earth. Here are some suggestions for earth-loving pet owners:
Spay or neuter your pet. According to the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), between six and eight million cats and dogs go into American animal shelters each year. About half of those get adopted, but the other half—three to four million animals—are euthanized. Clearly, pet overpopulation is a problem, one that's unfair to the animals because there aren't enough homes to go around. HSUS estimates that a healthy, fertile cat can give birth to three litters (of four to six kittens each) per year and a dog can give have up to two litters (of six to 10 puppies each) every year. So help minimize pet overpopulation by getting yours spayed or neutered.
Choose healthy pet food. Just like people, pets need nutritious food for good health. But many commercial options are packed with preservatives, fillers, and low-quality ingredients like meat that isn't fit for human consumption. When you buy Fido's food, read labels and watch out for these ingredients:
Animal byproducts. This means that the food's protein comes from meat products that are unfit for people to eat, such as "4-D Meats." That label refers to animals rejected for human food because they're dead, diseased, dying, or disabled, and includes ones rejected due to drug residues from hormones, antibiotics, and pesticides.
Fillers. Many pet foods use too much grain as filler, which means your pet may not be getting enough protein. Vermont's Cold River Veterinary Center (www.crvetcenter.com) recommends that healthy adult cats get a diet of 50% protein, 25% vegetables, 10% carbohydrates, and 15% fats. For healthy adult dogs, it's 30% protein, 30% vegetables, 20% carbohydrates, and 20% fats. Try to find foods that match these proportions.
Preservatives. Watch out for chemicals like BHA, BHT, and ethoxyquin. Instead, choose food that's preserved with vitamins C and E; although less effective than chemical preservatives, they're much healthier for your pet.
Organic pet food can be pricey (just like the human variety), but you'll know Fluffy and Fido are getting healthy food that's free of artificial preservatives, pesticides, hormones, and antibiotics. Here are some brands to try:
Canidae and Felidae All Natural Pet Foods (www.canidae.com)
Flint River Ranch Super Premium (www.flintriver.com)
Natura Pet Products (www.naturapet.com)
PetGuard (www.petguard.com)
Steve's Real Food for Pets (www.stevesrealfood.com)
Wysong pet foods (www.wysong.net)
The site Only Natural Pet Store (www.onlynaturalpet.com) helps you find just the right food for your pet. Search by type (dry, grain-free, organic, and so on), main protein source (such as beef or poultry), flavor, or brand.
One way to know what's in your pet's food is to make it yourself. For tips and instructions on do-it-yourself pet food, visit the Cold River Veterinary Center's Home Food page at www.crvetcenter.com/homefood.htm. Check with your vet to make sure that the treats you cook up are balanced.
Control fleas without poisons. The pesticides used in flea collars, powders, and spot treatments have generated a lot of controversy. The U.S. EPA says that the chemicals—tetrachlorvinphos and propoxur—don't leave residues at high enough levels to pose health risks. Yet these chemicals can damage the central nervous system (in pets and humans) and cause cancer. Pets may lick the chemicals from their fur, and young children, whose developing bodies make them especially vulnerable, may also ingest them. Poison on Pets II (www.nrdc.org/health/poisonsonpets), a study by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), has found that residue can remain on a pet's fur at dangerously high levels for weeks after you've put a flea collar on your pet.
To see a list of chemicals used in flea and tick products, and a rating of how hazardous each one may be to your pet's and family's health, visit the NRDC's Green Paws Guide at www.greenpaws.org/products.php.
If chemical flea and tick products aren't safe, how do you control these pests? Here are some nontoxic techniques (combine them to get the best results):
Use a flea comb. These combs either trap fleas in the narrow spaces between its teeth or force them to jump off your pet. Brush your pet outside so the fleas won't jump off in the house, and have a container of soapy water ready (use a mild dishwashing liquid, like castile soap—see Clean and Green: Environmentally Friendly Cleaning). Between strokes, dip the comb into the water, leaving loose hairs in the water. In summer (or whenever fleas are active in your area), use the flea comb daily.
Bathe your pet frequently. Use nontoxic shampoo (there's a recipe for a homemade one later in this list) and get your cat or dog good and soapy before rinsing. The fleas will hate it.
Wash pet bedding weekly. Fleas and their eggs accumulate in the places pets sleep, so wash bedding at least once a week. Vacuum the bedding beforehand to suck up fleas, larvae, and eggs.
Vacuum regularly. A University of California study found that this is one of the most effective flea-control techniques, capturing about 96% of adult fleas. Get in the habit of vacuuming all the areas of your house that your pet has access to—rugs, furniture, drapes, even bare floors. When fleas are bad, you may need to vacuum daily.
Pay attention to outdoor areas. Fleas like to hide in long grass, so keep the grass short in your pet's outdoor areas. A biological weapon against fleas is nematodes, a kind of worm that feed on immature fleas. You can buy nematodes (you want the genus Steinernema) at garden supply stores. Apply 500 nematodes per square foot of outdoor area.
Use natural pesticides—with caution. If the above methods aren't enough, you may want to try a natural pesticide with ingredients like lemongrass, cedarwood, peppermint, rosemary, or thyme oil. But just because a pesticide says "natural" doesn't mean it's safe. Some oils (including cinnamon, clove, lavender, and eucalyptus) may cause allergic reactions in pets. Avoid pennyroyal oil, which can cause severe reactions like seizures, comas, and even death. Before you use an all-natural pesticide, check the safety of its ingredients at the NRDC's Green Paws database:www.greenpaws.org/products.php (all types of oils are listed under O).
Keep your pet clean and healthy. Green Health and Beauty Products has tips for finding healthy personal hygiene products that aren't irritating and won't make you sick. Do your pet the same favor with all-natural pet shampoo. Here's how to make one that's easy on your pet's skin—and your budget:
1 quart liquid castile soap (Clean and Green: Environmentally Friendly Cleaning)
4 ounces of glycerin (available at your local pharmacy)
4 ounces of white vinegar
Combine all the ingredients, and then add enough filtered tap water to make a gallon of shampoo.
Clean up responsibly. It's a fact of life for pet owners: dealing with poop. To clean up after your pet, follow these suggestions:
For cats. Don't use clumping clay litter in the litter box. Sodium bentonite, which causes the clumping, can poison your kitty cat. When combined with liquid, it can swell up to 15–18 times its dry size, causing serious problems if ingested. And the dust from clay litter can harm your cat's lungs. Finally, mining minerals for use in litter isn't an environmentally friendly process.
Instead, look for dust-free, mineral-free litters. A good choice is biodegradable litter made from plants. Many kinds can be flushed, and some clump naturally, without sodium bentonite. One brand to try is Feline Pine by Nature's Earth Products (www.felinepine.com).
For dogs. Use biodegradable bags to clean up after your pooch, and then compost the bag and the waste. Unlike dumping pet waste in a landfill, where it will remain pretty much forever, composting turns dog poop into compost within a month or two.
If you compost dog waste, keep it separate from your other compost pile. Don't use dog-waste compost on a garden that produces food. For step-by-step instructions on building a composter for pooch poop, visit City Farmer's website at http://tinyurl.com/ywf9bo. Another option is Doggie Dooley, which works like a septic system for dog waste: Just shovel dog poop into the tank and, from time to time, add water and Digestive Powder (available from the company that makes the system). For more information, visit www.doggiedooley.com.
If your pet wets the carpet, don't clean the spot with bleach. It's better for everyone if you use a mixture of half water and half white vinegar.
Melt ice safely. If you live in a cold climate, you probably use salt or some other product to melt ice on driveways, sidewalks, and walkways. If you read the fine print on these products, you'll probably see a warning about the dangers of salt to pets and children. It can get on a pet's paws or fur, where they may lick it off. Sodium chloride, calcium magnesium acetate, and calcium carbonate (common ingredients in ice-melting products) can cause a pet to suffer from loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, increased thirst, excessive salivation, seizures—even death. To avoid that, try using sand or kitty litter to create a grippy surface. Or buy Safe Paw Ice Melter (www.safepaw.com), which is designed to be safe for pets, children, and the environment.