Helping Fido and Fluffy Go Green for Earth Day

4/21/2010 1:00:00 AM

In honor of Earth Day, the Chemung County Humane Society and SPCA wants to share some tips for helping your pet reduce their carbon "paw print." Taking into account all the items that are required to take care of your pet, such as pet food, toys and conventional cleaning products, Robert and Brenda Vale, authors of Time to Eat the Dog?: The Real Guide to Sustainable Living, argue that your dog's carbon footprint is comparable to driving your SUV 10,000 miles a year and that your cat's is comparable to driving a smart car (note, we are not advocating eating your pet, that is inhumane). The good news is that there are ways to reduce your pet's emissions by changing the products you use to care for them.

• Food - For starters, try to use pet food that comes in recyclable containers. Next you can look for pet food that is produced closer to where you live to cut down on the fuel emissions of transporting it. You can also try to buy food made with organic ingredients because these are produced not using pesticides, drugs or hormones. If you are really committed to going green, try cooking your pet's food yourself. If you're interested, you can start with a cookbook like The Natural Pet Food Cookbook: Healthful Recipes for Dogs and Cats, by Wendy Nan Rees and Wendy Nan Rees (Author)Kevin Schlanger. This book contains more than 50 vet-approved recipes.

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• Toys - Try to purchase toys that are made from natural or recycled materials, i.e. not plastic.

• Waste - For cats, instead of using litter containing harsh chemicals (mostly found in clumping or odor eliminating litter), try using litter made from natural products. You can use baking soda instead to eliminate odors in a more natural way. For dogs, instead of using plastic bags to pick up waste, try using more biodegradable options like paper bags. You can also try composting your pet's waste using one of many compost systems available.

• Cleaning - Whenever possible, use natural cleaning products to clean up after your pet. This may also help your pet because more harsh cleaning products can irritate their skin.

• Spay and Neuter - If you think about your pets as the Vales do, in terms of cars, every time your dog has a litter of puppies, think about them giving birth to seven little gas guzzling SUVs. That's reason enough to spay and neuter your pet.

• Adopt -Instead of buying from a pet store, consider adopting from a shelter. You will not only be giving a pet a second lease on life, but you will also help to combat puppy mills and other large-scale breeding operations that contribute to the pet overpopulation problem.