Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Pet Care

One reason we love our pets is because they can pull us out of the mindset of everyday human life. These animals don’t understand bills or election cycles or the pressure to post something cute on your social media; they just vibe.

At the same time, your pet is decidedly not a part of the natural order. Their place within your home, fed primarily by lengthy supply chains and pampered by any number of fairly disposable products, means that they have their own impact on the environment — albeit to a much, much smaller degree than the typical human.

According to one study, the carbon footprint (or “pawprint,” as they made sure to distinguish) of an average, medium-to-small-sized dog is 770 kg of CO2 per year.

Bigger dogs emit even more, to the tune of up to a staggering 2,500 kg of CO2 annually. Cats, with their smaller size and lesser appetites, emit a much-tidier (but still impactful) 310 kg of CO2 per year.

For reference, that’s equivalent to taking a 12-hour car ride for cats and a 90-hour car ride for a bigger dog.

Is there a way to diminish this impact while helping accomplish goals like reduced waste and improved sustainability? Yes, as it turns out, there is; many of the tactics involve small lifestyle changes that, thankfully, add up to a big offset for your and your pet’s environmental impact.

Carefully Consider the Ecological Impact of Their Diet

Pet food is, without a doubt, the number one culprit for pets’ environmental impact. Simply put: pets eat a lot of meat.

Biologically, cats have to eat meat in order to survive. Dogs, too, stand to benefit a great deal from consistent amounts of animal protein in their diet — even if they are able to actually survive off of plants, to a degree, unlike cats.

The global meat industry has a huge effect on the planet, whether that meat is destined for pets or otherwise. Consider that if pets all occupied their own country together (we need to see this movie, Pixar!), they would be the fifth-highest consumers of meat on the planet by country.

While we wouldn’t recommend cutting meat entirely from their diet — especially for cats — what you can do is find a quality and sustainable source of meat. Look for brands that measure their own environmental impact, as well as ones that use more ecologically friendly packaging. You should also look for foods that don’t have filler, unneeded preservatives, or artificial additives, as these can involve processes that are bad for the planet while also being bad for your pet. Some brands even have certifications for the humane treatment of animals in their supply chain.

Also, pay close attention to the type of animal the protein comes from. For instance, beef generates nearly four times more emissions and waste compared to poultry.

So, when shopping for food, consider the type of meat as having less to do with flavor and more to do with sustainability. Fish, chicken, and other options (including insect-based proteins) can all go a long way toward reducing your pet’s carbon pawprint.

Don’t Overfeed or Waste Food

How you feed your pet can matter just as much as what you feed them.

Foremost, only give your animal the amount of daily nutrition it needs in order to remain lean and healthy. Overfeeding your pet can not only lead to chronic health issues, but it also means that your pet is increasing their environmental impact with every extra meal.

Avoid wasting food, too. With dogs, this is usually not a problem, but cats can tend to turn their nose up at food that is left out longer than an hour.

Make sure to quickly pull any leftover food, and try storing it in the refrigerator to be eaten later rather than throwing it out. You can often entice the picky eater to finish it by mixing in a small amount of hot water before offering it again.

As for treats and other non-meal snacks, try to purchase only what your pet will actually eat, and don’t let it go to waste. A long-forgotten bag of snacks that ends up in the landfill means that animals were fed, slaughtered, and processed without even being enjoyed as intended by your pet.

Use Biodegradable Doggie Doo-Doo Bags and Cat Litter

Clay cat litter has an enormous lifespan. Its drying properties mean that it is unlikely to become incorporated into the soil any time soon — and any chemical additives mean that it will have an even worse impact on the environment should it run off.

You can find biodegradable versions instead, made of paper or pine.

Dog poop baggies can be even worse, being made of plastic bags that can take 10–20 years to decompose. The good news is that there are plastic bags that are biodegradable!

The one catch is that these biodegradable components work best when placed in a compost heap. What that means is that, for maximum sustainability, you may need to create your own in-ground compost pile for dog waste. 

While the compost can’t be used for soil to grow food, it can grow just about anything else, including mulch, lawn fertilizer, or a component of planting soil. More importantly, proper composting eliminates pathogens that would otherwise harm the soil and groundwater ecology.

Speaking of which, always make sure to pick up after your dog, even if it’s on your own lawn. Runoff from dog poop can contaminate stormwater and ground soil, leading to buildup of bacteria that can be harmful to humans and nature alike.

Be Judicious About Pet Toys

Pet toys can have a bad environmental impact for two main reasons: either they’re not actually played with, leading to wasted materials, or they’re played with a little too hard, meaning they get destroyed and thrown out quickly.

Try to only buy toys your pet will actually play with. If they don’t seem to enjoy them, try passing them on to another pet owner before they linger in the home too long.

For pets that like to destroy their toys, try to find extremely durable versions, like Kong rubber toys, that can last for months or even years at a time.

You can opt for toys made of recycled materials or biodegradable components. You can even make your own toys out of natural or household items!

Dogs that love to chew can be gifted with a steady supply of ropes made out of old t-shirts braided together. Cats adore socks stuffed with catnip and tied. 

Just be sure that any toy you give them is disposed of properly once it’s been damaged. Otherwise, a dog could swallow the pieces or end up with shards from a damaged piece of wood or something similar.

Use Eco-Safe Grooming Products (And Only Buy What You’ll Use)

Many pet-care products contain chemicals that are both harsh on your pet and harmful to the environment. Avoid perfumes and harmful chemicals like sulfates, phthalates, or parabens, and try to buy in bulk to reduce the amount of packaging needed.

You can divvy out the amount over time using reusable bottles, sprayers, and jars.

Also, try not to go overboard in what you buy. If you end up with a bunch of products you never use, that’s more waste going in the landfill once the product expires or (more likely) you decide to finally throw it out years later.

Try Turning Your Walk Into an Errand Run

Few of us are fortunate enough to live within walking distance of a grocery store or other location where we can accomplish a few errands. If you are, though, then try to make a point to combine your daily walk with an errand run rather than driving to the store later.

This little jaunt will not only help you and your dog get exercise, but it also means avoiding a car trip — and all the carbon emissions that come with it.

Avoid Giving Cats Unfettered Outdoor Time

Lots of us have cats that are indoor/outdoor or that live entirely outside. Unfortunately, these cats can have a devastating impact on local wildlife, especially for migratory birds.

Worse, many kills happen outside of the owner’s radar, so there’s no way to truly know how many bodies your commando kitty has managed to stack up through all its adventures.

While many cats seem to thrive outside, if you’re concerned about the environment, one of the most important things you can do is diminish their ability to kill local wildlife. You can build them a catio enclosure, for example, or trade out unsupervised outdoor time for leashed exploration.

There are also special cat bibs and collars that impede their ability to make a kill.

At the very least, try to limit your cat’s outdoor time throughout the day. The less access they have to wildlife, the less likely they are to impact the local ecosystem through their predatory instincts.

Always Spay, Neuter, and Adopt

Finally, we urge anyone who is concerned about the environment to have their pet spayed or neutered. Every animal has an impact on the environment, and no matter how much we love them, we don’t need them to make offspring in order to enjoy companionship into the future. 

There are millions of dogs and cats available for adoption at any given time, so make the eco-conscious and animal-friendly choice to adopt from a shelter rather than purchase from a breeder or breed yourself.

Come to Greenlin Pet Resorts in Hershey for a Pet Safe and Sustainable Stay

Greenlin Pet Resorts in Hershey (and at all of our six locations in Central PA) uses only mild, pet-safe chemicals for cleaning and sanitation. We regularly review our practices for their environmental impact, and we strive to make changes on a regular basis that help both our guests and our local ecology flourish.

Whether enjoying dog daycare, a pet boarding stay, obedience training, or our other services, we do everything we can to make your pet’s stay safe, enjoyable, and environmentally friendly. Find out more about our services and our practices when you call our Hershey location at (717) 707-7900 or contact us online.