The 4 Best Tips to Becoming an Eco-Friendly Pet Owner

Sustainability is a lifestyle that many of us participate in these days. Whether you take out your recycling every week or own reusable bottles and containers, it’s important to make an effort to stop waste in any way you can, even when it comes to taking care of pets. Whether you take out your recycling every week or own reusable bottles and containers, it’s essential to stop waste in any way you can, even for taking care of pets.

If you own a pet, I am fairly sure you have thought of how to keep your pet healthy. Keeping a pet healthy can be difficult. Apart from everyday things such as taking your pet for exercise walks and grooming, you need to sign up for an affordable pet insurance company like Bivvy to add coverage for your pet’s frequent vet expenses.

There are many ways people and their pets can help save the planet. You may even be able to help in ways you don’t expect. Here are 4 of the best tips to becoming an eco-friendly pet owner.

1. Adopt Don’t Shop

Pets, especially cats and dogs, have overpopulation problems all over the world. When you buy them from stores or breeders, it increases the demand for new puppies and kittens. Why have more when there are millions of suitable furry friends in shelters across the world?

This tip counts for first time pet owners as well. If you are deciding whether or not to adopt an animal for the first time, you can save a life and its carbon footprint when you adopt from a shelter.

If you’re attracted to owning a pet for companionship and support, you may even be able to avoid housing fees or deposits when you adopt. The website www.esaregistration.org can help you register your animal as an Emotional Support Animal. This means the law protects your ability to bring your ESA with you.

2. Neuter and Spay

The number of stray animals in the United States alone is easily in the tens of millions. An article by RestedPaws.co.uk puts the number of animals entering shelters in the U.S. at 6.5 Million a year. When stray cats have kittens, those kittens become feral cats. The Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) states that in general, overpopulation of feral cats can cause decline or extinction in many species, especially birds or small to medium-size mammals.

So, what can you do about this problem? Spaying and neutering your animals are the most effective and easiest ways to prevent overpopulation. Even if your pets stay indoors, it’s important to spay and neuter them in case they get lost.

3. Buy Sustainable Food

Pet food, like people food, can come in a lot of unnecessary packaging! When you focus on buying brands that offer sustainable and eco-friendly food, you can easily recycle the bags and reduce trash in landfills or the oceans.

In addition, many of these brands offer higher quality food. Much of it is organic and offers all the necessary nutrients your pet needs in their everyday diet. These options are also great to look at if your pet has allergies to certain types of meat or other ingredients found in the average brands.

4. Clean Up Responsibly

Cleaning up your dog’s poop on a walk is important. Not only does it keep the sidewalk clean; it keeps people safe. How? Dog waste carries nitrogen, phosphorous, and many harmful pathogens. Rain can carry it into streams and sewer systems, which can make many people ill.

You shouldn’t flush any animal poop down the toilet. Most cities don’t have the proper filtration system to filter out the chemicals contained in animal waste. It’s always best to throw it in the trash, unless you have a dog-poop compost program in your area.

There’s Always a Way to Make a Difference

All pet owners have a responsibility to do what’s best for their animals. These sustainable pet care tips will help guide you both towards an eco-friendly lifestyle and a better future.

Always check the ingredients in the product you buy! Food, toys, and pet accessories are all available in recyclable materials. Doing a little research to find the right product is worth it in the long run.

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About Salman Zafar

Salman Zafar is the Founder of EcoMENA, and an international consultant, advisor, ecopreneur and journalist with expertise in waste management, waste-to-energy, renewable energy, environment protection and sustainable development. His geographical areas of focus include Middle East, Africa, Asia and Europe. Salman has successfully accomplished a wide range of projects in the areas of biomass energy, biogas, waste-to-energy, recycling and waste management. He has participated in numerous conferences and workshops as chairman, session chair, keynote speaker and panelist. Salman is the Editor-in-Chief of EcoMENA, and is a professional environmental writer with more than 300 popular articles to his credit. He is proactively engaged in creating mass awareness on renewable energy, waste management and environmental sustainability in different parts of the world. Salman Zafar can be reached at salman@ecomena.org or salman@bioenergyconsult.com

One Response to The 4 Best Tips to Becoming an Eco-Friendly Pet Owner

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