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Environmentally Friendly Cat Care
When you're looking for ways to improve your environmental stewardship, don't forget to think about how you can green-up your cat care routine. We have some ideas here to get you started, but be sure you look at every aspect of your routine and think about how you can improve its impact on the environment.
Litter Box Issues
The litter box can be a source of non-environmentally friendly waste, for sure. It may seem like nothing can be done about this particular cat care item, but there are some ways to green it up. Here are some suggestions:
- Place a metal trash can with a lid near the litter box and line it with either a re-used shopping bag or a biodegradable bag. Fill each bag fully before throwing it out rather than using a new plastic bag for each scooping session.
- Use biodegradable litter. Cats prefer litter that is the consistency of sand but which clumps up nicely. Using regular clay litter isn't very environmentally friendly because it must be mined from the earth and doesn't degrade back into the soil. World's Best Cat Litter is an example of a biodegradable litter that many cats like because it has the consistency of sand, clumps well, and doesn't have added fragrance. It's also a low-dust litter, so it's pleasant for the humans in the home as well.
Cat Food Packages
Choose cat food packages that are recyclable. If you feed your cat canned food, choose the largest container possible that your cat will be able to eat through before it goes bad. Keep it in the refrigerator between feedings. Recycle the containers once they're empty.
Cat Toys
You can make cat toys yourself using upcycled materials such as toilet paper tubes and cardboard boxes. Be sure not to use strings, ribbons, or yarn, which can dangerously entangle a cat's body parts or cause life-threatening intestinal obstruction if ingested. When you buy cat toys, look for ones that are made of recycled materials.
Recycle Your Used Cat Care Items
When you do your spring cleaning and find cat care items that you no longer need, don't throw them out unless they're completely soiled. If they are still usable, donate them to a cat rescue group or shelter.
When you are done with towels or blankets, donate them to a shelter or veterinary clinic for continued use or cut them up and sew them into recycled cat toys.
Spay or Neuter Your Cat
Having your cat spayed or neutered can reduce the number of homeless cats drastically, which can take pressure off of the environment. In seven years, one un-neutered pair of cats and their unaltered offspring can produce 420,000 kittens.
Decrease or Eliminate Fish in Your Cat's Diet
The world's fish supplies are at risk because we are over-harvesting them. Up to 10% of the fish we remove from the ocean is used in pet food. Too much fish can have negative consequences on the health of cats, anyway, such as a possible increased risk of developing hyperthyroidism. Decreasing or eliminating fish from your cat's diet is good for the environment and can have potential health benefits for your cat.