As a green pet parent, your olfactory sense will appreciate eco friendly ways for removing cat litter smell.  Cats are intriguing and interesting creatures.  What may smell nice to us humans may upset cats.  Cats use their sense of smell to recognize certain key locations – their sleeping bed, their food bowl, their mother’s teats (for nursing) and most especially, their cat litter boxes.  This is the one place you wouldn’t want your cat to lose “sight” on.  After all, you wouldn’t want him to take a dump on those new non-toxic carpets you just installed now, would you?

Whatever You Do, Avoid Scented Cat Litter

Most scents that humans like are odd and unappealing for cats.   Also, each cat has his own unique scent – one that he uses to Read the rest of this entry »

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If you’re planning on raising green pets, an eco-friendly cat in this case, properly investigating why he isn’t using his litter box could help save him from impending doom.  If your cat is not using his litter box, this is not just a phase.  Sadly, it’s a problem you can’t just dismiss or ignore.  In fact, this problem ranks as #1 among cat parents and it is one of the top reasons why cats are given away, given to shelters or put down.

There’s always a reason for everything.  If your cat is not using his litter box, it does not have to mean he’s trying to get back at you for making him wear that ridiculous rooster costume for Halloween.  In fact, if he’s not using his litter box, he’s trying to tell you something – his way of crying for help.  And if you don’t act soon, doing his business outside his litter box could develop into a habit that’s hard to get rid of.  Here are the top 10 possible reasons why your cat is not using his litter box:

# 1 – He has medical problems

This is probably the most serious reason why your cat isn’t using his litter box.  Make sure you see your veterinarian to rule out the possibility that your cat may have any of the following Read the rest of this entry »

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The reasons why you should spay and neuter your pets are manifold. In the United States alone, there are about 5,500 puppies and kittens born every hour.  That’s a lot considering there are only about 415 human babies born every hour.  A lot of these puppies and kittens end up in the wild, in the streets or if they’re a little lucky, in animal shelters.  On average, about 6 to 8 million cats and dogs are placed in animal shelters every year.  Around half of these animals are never adopted and are thus killed, or euthanized as referred by most.  This is the harsh reality of pet overpopulation.

Spaying and Neutering Pets Saves Lives

There is a solution to this problem – neuter or spay pets.  This may not save all of those animals in one day but it’s a small step towards eradicating pet overpopulation.  If you can’t take care of Read the rest of this entry »

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Pets going green is easier now with the numerous green products available.  In buying cat litter, it’s important to select an eco friendly cat litter for your cat’s health and the environment’s.  Here are some things to consider.

There are over 93 million pet cats in the United States.  We spend over 200 million dollars for commercial cat litter.  Staggering statistics.  But have you thought about how this affects our dear planet?

Clumping Cat Litter

Clumping cat litter is made from sodium bentonate, more commonly known as natural clay.  Found near the surface of the earth’s soil, natural clay is strip mined using heavy machinery.  This has caused so much environmental damage that it has already endangered certain species of plants and animals, thereby destroying the balance of many ecosystems.  There have been reports of native land owners being driven from their very homes just so big mining companies can strip their land bare and obtain this type of clay.

This is all done to supply the demand for cheap clay litter.  However, the Read the rest of this entry »

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A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of being interviewed by a fellow animal lover Chris Wagner, creator of Waggy’s Pet Tips and Tales and owner of the online pet store Waggy’s Pet Products.  Here’s our conversation. Enjoy!

“I’m so excited to be able to introduce you to Marisa Herrera.  Marisa is a Green Pets Eco-Living Consultant that is dedicated to reaching out to the global community and teaching us how to make our homes and pets in harmony with Mother Nature.  She is also passionate about a raising the funds to open up an animal sanctuary in Mexico.”

Chris: Marisa, thank you for stopping by Waggy’s Pet Tips and Tales.  Please tell us how you started out on this wonderful journey in helping animals and families become more eco friendly.  What is your working background?

Marisa: Thank you, Chris, for having me.  It’s great to connect and talk with you!  My journey started a long time ago with my love of animals and my desire to help them in any way possible.  Since young, I’ve also had a deep connection with Nature and concern about the environment.  I grew up in Mexico City and remember wanting to help and rescue all the stray dogs I would see.  I saw so much apathy, cruelty and injustice that it forever touched me.   I have been an animal and environmental advocate for decades and, finally, I’ve reached a point in my life where I had to pursue my passion and purpose of dedicating my life to help as many animals as I can while helping Nature, too.  So, this is how Green Pets Eco Living was created in late 2009.  I integrated my passions, interests, background and knowledge to help pet parents “green” their companion animals and create toxic-free home environments so their pets can Read the rest of this entry »

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Keeping your cat indoors a healthy happy cat is easier than you think.  With an indoor cat, you don’t have to worry about the risks your cat would face if allowed to be outdoors.  The outside world may deem too harsh or too dangerous for your beloved cat.  Or it could be the other way around!

Here are some tips on how you can keep your indoor cat a healthy, happy cat:

Space

Provide your green cat(s) with ample room to roam.  If you have an extra bedroom, you can use it for their space.

Food & Water Bowls

Provide food and water bowls in easy to access places.  You may consider having multiple water bowls around your house.  Keep them clean and do not place them near litter boxes.  Your cat does not like to eat near where he/she uses the bathroom.

Litter Box

If you have one cat, consider using 2 boxes.  If you have multiple cats, the rule generally is to Read the rest of this entry »

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Caring for your cat in an eco-friendly, sustainable way means keeping your cat indoors.  This ensures you protect your cat’s health and welfare and reduce his/her  environmental impact.  As guardian of a green pet, you will be glad to know the top eight reasons to keep your cat indoors.

Reasons to keep your cat indoors:

1.  Disease

You increase your cat’s risk of incidence to life-threatening diseases such as Feline Distemper, Feline AIDS, Feline Leukemia, Rabies, Cat-scratch Fever (Bobcat Fever) and Toxoplasmosis.

2.  Poison

There are all sorts of products your cat could get into when not under your watchful eye.  Cats are curious by nature and Read the rest of this entry »

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Are you concerned about the safety of your flea and tick treatment? If you are, then probably you are looking for natural flea treatment and/or tick prevention options that do not harm your pet(s). Basically, the conventional flea and tick products on the market are pesticides.

There is nothing green or healthy about pesticides; they are poison!  That is what most conventional flea/tick manufacturers sell us as pet owners…poison!  Think basic…what have we Read the rest of this entry »

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Is vegetarian cat food an option for obligate (true) carnivores, as are our domesticated cats?  Does vegetarian cat food meet the dietary needs of your cat?  There are arguments for and against feeding a cat a meat-less diet.  Also, there’s difference of opinion from vegan and vegetarian groups.

Your cat has unique needs

Cats have unique needs as obligate carnivores.  They require amino acids, taurine, vitamin A, fatty acids, vitamin b12, niacin, thiamin, and arachidonic acid found in meat sources, which are deficient in plant sources.  Vegetarian/vegan pet food companies supplement their products with synthetically produced nutrients to account for these deficiencies.

Many argue that a cat cannot be a vegetarian cat; that cats cannot survive on a vegetarian diet because of their distinctive metabolism.  Their digestive systems cannot break down the cell walls in vegetable foods to extract the nutrients.  Cats cannot convert beta-carotene to active vitamin A, tryptophan to niacin or linoleic acid to essential fatty acids.  Taurine is also extremely important because if your cat is lacking in taurine it could cause immune system problems, blindness or neurological impairment.  Incidentally, synthetic taurine is also used in commercial meat-based cat foods because the Read the rest of this entry »

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Dogs Can Be Vegetarians and Vegans Too!

Yes, you heard right… a vegetarian dog and/or a vegan dog!  I guess that makes them veggie dogs.

Your dog(s) can lead a sustainable life and make one of the biggest impacts with his/her diet!  Just like humans, they can reduce their carbon paw print by going vegetarian or even vegan.

If you’re like most people, your first thought is, “How can that be healthy for my dog…to not eat meat.”

A vegetarian or vegan doggie diet is healthy, safe and in many cases may increase your dog’s overall health and lifespan.

Let me take the time to tell you why…

Where does the meat your animal is eating come from?  How is it raised?

Think about the massive 2007 pet food recall.  That should be enough to convince you that Read the rest of this entry »

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