10 Ways to Love Your Pet and the Planet, Too

Your kitty’s cuddly when he’s indoors on your lap, but he’s lethal when he goes outside. America’s felines, both pet cats and feral ones, kill as many as 3.7 billion birds each year. The average outdoor pet cat kills two animals a week. This puts pressure on bird populations already threatened by pesticides and habitat loss. Keeping kitty inside is good for him, too. Indoor cats live as long as 17 years. Outdoor ones live an average of two to five years.

Clean up your pet’s poop in a plastic bag, toss it in a trash can and it will still be in a landfill a century from now. Use compostable or biodegradable bags for cleanup. And for heaven’s sake, pick up your pooch’s poop. Not only is leaving it on the ground rude, that poop will pollute the planet’s water supply. Get this: The EPA found that 90 percent of fecal coliform in storm water was from dogs. Ick.

Look for pet toys made of recycled, repurposed or organic materials. Bonus points if they’re made nearby, because then you’ll cut out a long, gas-guzzling journey from the manufacturer to your pet. Get crafty and make your own pet toys. And donate your pet’s clean, used toys to a local shelter or pet rescue. Better to make a homeless pet happy than send more stuff to a landfill.

Buy pet treats, and you also get a box or bag that will end up in trash. Plus, those treats likely traveled a long way to you via gas-guzzling, greenhouse-gas emitting trucks. Bake your own treats at home for your dog. Grow catnip or other feline-friendly plants for your kitty. Not a baker? Buy treats at a local dog bakery where they make them on site. Or look for treats made from organic ingredients.