If you don’t know where to begin with helping save Mother Earth, today is the perfect day to make a commitment to going green with and for your pet all year round.

Start with these simple ways to affirm your commitment:

Use eco-friendly cat litter

Most cat litters are made from clay like bentonite and embedded by synthetic materials for neutralizing odors.  Bentonite is taken from quarries, which is an extremely environmentally destructive activity.  Moreover, reports show  bentonite, as well as these synthetic materials, as poisonous to cats once ingested.  Switch to a green cat litter now, you’ll not only discourage quarrying but you also save your pet’s life from poisoning.

Green Dog’s Poop

Pet’s wastes can be a nuisance to the environment.  Dog poop may have harmful parasites and other bacteria that could get carried by water and contaminate it harming the whole community.  Before this horrible thing happens and harm your own family, start to green your dog’s poop now.  Clean it up in biodegradable poop bags and compost it.  If not, flush it in your own toilets.  Local sewage systems are capable of treating these harmful organisms.

Recycle old materials to make pet toys and accessories

There might be a lot of old items stock in your attic, the garage or storage rooms that can be converted into wonderful toys for your pets.  Reduce garbage by recycling these materials.  Just make sure these items are non-toxic and are safe for them.  General rule of thumb: Do not give your pets what you wouldn’t give to your kids.

Prepare your pet’s meals

Previously, governing authorities were not so strict about the manufacture of pet products until the many pet food recalls and the increasing awareness for environmental protection.  However, the majority of commercial pet foods are junk for your pets.  To avoid feeding Fluffy garbage food, prepare his meals.  Use organic, fresh, wholesome ingredients.

Make a green switch with your pet supplies

Thanks to the forty-year effort of the Earth Day Network, pet supply manufacturers are now switching to natural materials.  Try hitting the local pet store today and you’ll find lots of eco-friendly pet products to choose from pet collars, clothing and accessories to pet beddings and toiletries.

Going green and having a green pet is a way of celebrating Earth Day, actually, it’s celebrating Earth Day everyday!

Marisa

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Choose a green cat litter litter How a litter breaks down and where it comes from has a direct effect on the disposal of it.

Flush It

Flushable cat litter? There are many opinions about this.  The largest concern comes from Toxoplasmosis, a parasite that infects cats that can be dangerous to water life when it gets into the water stream.  Outdoor cats, particularly, can get infected with this parasite from infected rodents, birds or other small animals.  There have been some cases of sea otters dying from toxoplasmosis.  It has not been linked back to cats at this point, but flushing away your cat’s poop may not be worth if it is harming wildlife.  Check with your vet if you would like to get your cat tested.

Don’t flush clumped litter if you have a septic tank; it will clog it.  There is also the issue of water waste from all of the flushing.

Compost It

Yes you can, but you cannot if you use clay, crystalline or sand litter.  You can create a cat litter compost as long as you use a hot compost to kill any pathogens in your cat’s poop.  It is also a composting process and will take at least 18 months to break down properly.

Most people think it is not safe to use on edible plants, but some feel it is safe if you follow the proper composting process and allow enough time to pass.  You should, however, not compost with your food scraps, etc.  You will need a separate composter for your cat litters if you are including your cat’s poop in it.  If you use liners for your litter box, make the process a biodegrable cat litter by select biodegrable liners, so they can be composted.

The Green Cone food waste digester is an excellent green choice to biodegrade pet waste.  It also biodegrades your cooked and uncooked food waste including meat, fish, bones, dairy products, fruits and vegetables.

Trash It

Cat litter disposal might mean the dump.  Although this option sounds unheard, especially since it is definitely not “green”, it may be the safest solution if you feel composting does not safely remove parasites. When disposing of your cat’s waste, think of the everyday things you buy or use that may make good reusable vessels for your cat litter, things like:

- Bread Bags

- Pasta Bags

- Pasta Boxes

- Cereal Boxes

- Cereal Bags

- Chip/Snack Bags

- Paper/Plastic Grocery Bags

- Biodegradable Pet Waste Bags

- Newspaper (wrap it well)

These are not perfect disposal options, but there is the benefit of reusing items.

Bury It

Again, a possible solution with some controversy.  It is risky because it could contaminate groundwater or the surrounding burial space.  Parasites will not perish for a year if you bury your cat waste.

Spread It

You can spread the biodegradable used litter (no poop) in an area of your garden where you want to control weeds, for instance.  Avoid placing the used litter near your edible plants. 

Remember to always wash your hands after cleaning the litter box and handling cat litter.

Whatever option you decide is best for you and your cat, make the decision equipped with knowledge.  As guardians of our beloved companion animals, we want to make conscientious eco friendly living decisions!

Marisa

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You’ve probably asked yourself how to select the best kitty litter?  eco living with your pets means reducing their paw print, as well.  You can be green with the cat litter you choose as there are green cat litter options. What kind of litter do you use?  Do you know the environmental impact of your choices?  A natural cat litter may not necessarily mean a safe cat litter for your cat(s) or the environment. Let’s see what your options are for cat litters…

STAY AWAY FROM THE CLAY

Clay cat litter is very popular choice because it is easy to find and is one of the cheapest types of litter on the market.  Sure, it’s inexpensive and most of us have probably used it, but it is not an eco friendly product; thus, not good choice for the Earth, your cat or you!  Clay litter is strip-mined at the rate of 2.1 million TONS (that’s 42,000,000,000 pounds) and this causes severe environmental damage.  How about the dust?  It is awful stuff!  It can cause breathing difficulties or

other respiratory problems to your cat(s).  It is best to avoid this at all costs!

DUMP THE CLUMP

Clumping cat litter is also very popular because of its price and quick clean-up.  But clumping litter is mined just like clay litter so do your part to protect Mother Nature and say, ‘No!’  Clumping litter may also be linked to cat health problems because it is so small it may get ingested as cats groom themselves; they could lick if off their paws, etc.  It may wind up stuck in you cat’s intestines or elsewhere.  It also tends to be quite dusty which could lead to the potential respiratory problems like the clay litter.

SILICA GEL -  “CRYSTALS” CAT LITTER

This type of litter can be quite expensive and again your cat pays the price with the possible toxin, cobalt chloride, which may be used to dye the crystals blue.  It does work well for urine and cat litter smell, so if you love it and don’t mind spending extra, you can check with the manufacturer to see if any chemicals are used to make a decision once you’re armed with that information.

PINE MAY NOT BE FINE

Pine and cedar litter or shavings may not be a good choice for your feline friend(s).  Cats can sometimes develop allergies or develop liver problems to these particular types of litter because of the phenols found in pine or cedar wood.  If you’re wondering what a phenol is…it is carbolic acid which is a toxin.  The phenol is coming from that lovely aroma, but it may not seem so lovely now that you know it can be toxic.

UNSCENTED vs. SCENTED

Unscented wins this battle!  Scented litters can use a variety of chemicals and chemicals may cause a whole source of problems for your cat or you.  Besides, cats don’t want to smell perfumes.  What they care about is a clean, accessible litter box!

TO FLUSH OR NOT TO FLUSH…

That is definitely a question when it comes to flushable cat litter.  The protagonist is biodegradability and the antagonist in this scenario is Toxoplasmosis!  What is Toxoplasmosis? If you’ve been pregnant you may know that this is a parasite that some cats may carry and it can cause birth defects.  Cats usually get it from eating tainted raw meat, rodents, etc.  If your cat(s) has/have it, chances are you won’t be able to tell.  This is the problem…you don’t really want to use a flushable litter if you don’t know if your cats may have this parasite.  If your cat is an outdoor cat, I would most definitely avoid flushable litter for this reason.  If you cat is an indoor cat and you are considering flushable litter, have your vet test for toxoplasmosis first.

THE GRITTY TRUTH ABOUT SAND

All you really need to know is…sand is a scare resource.  We should not destroy the ecosystems and micro-ecosystems of beaches, desserts, etc. to get litter. So, you ask, what’s the best kitty litter?

AND THE WINNERS ARE…

SAWDUST PELLETS

This is one case when dust can be a good thing…sawdust pellets are used as fuel for wood stoves and are inexpensive.  Things you need to remember are to go with unscented, additive-free pellets that are made from scrap lumber (YAY for recycling and reusing!).  You want to buy green; you do not want to purchase any that come straight from the forest (that would not be sustainable).  This is a good litter option as long as you’re willing to put in the time and effort on the research.  Once you find a reputable distributor, you should be good for the long-term.

WHEAT CAN BE SWEET!  SO CAN CORN AND ALFALFA

A win, win situation…non-toxic and renewable!  A happy cat, a happy you, a happy Earth!

CHOOSE THE NEWS!

Recycled newspaper litter is the best choice for a green cat.  Why?  Because it is recycling which is a sustainable act and it is also soft for Kitty’s feet.  If you purchase this litter, it will have gone through the recycling process and many manufacturers (if not all) will have removed the ink.  If you want to save money, you can make it yourself with old newspapers.

Make the Change!

Make the litter change gradually so your cat can get used to the new litter choice.  Most cats are not really into surprises and would prefer to have things routine.  Add a little new litter with the old litter and gradually increase the new litter while decreasing the old litter until you have made the complete switch.

Give a “MEOW” to Your Local Pet Store

If your local pet store does not carry some of the greener litter alternatives, let them know they should carry it and educate them on the benefits.  Encourage them to pass on the education to their customer through signage and sales. Now that you know about safe and green cat litter options, you and your cat(s) celebrate.  Cats can be green too!

Marisa

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