VE on Gaiam Life: 10 Ways to Green Your Pet
Our homes (and lives) just wouldn’t be the same without our fine, furry friends. With all the love and attention we shower on our fidos and felines, shouldn’t they get the benefit of a natural, sustainable lifestyle too?
Eco-friendly options for cats and dogs (along with many other animals) have multiplied exponentially in the past decade. Food, toys, shampoo, litter, flea treatment … you name it, there is a “greener” version of it available today.
Why is eco-friendly pet care important? “Traditional” pet supplies often include noxious chemicals, heavy metals, inedible animal parts and extensively sprayed ingredients.
Not only is your pet exposed to these questionable aspects of their everyday goods, but you are too! “It’s really all part of getting back to nature,” says Dr. Jeff Feinman, certified homeopathic veterinarian in Weston, Conn. “It’s better for your pet and the Earth.”
Greening your pet is easy. Just follow these ten tried-and-true steps to give your pet a more natural, sustainable life.
1) Find Out What You’re Feeding Them
After the countless pet food recalls over the past two years, it is no surprise that owners are more curious and cautious about what they feed their pets. If your pet’s food does not feature the green FDA “organic” seal or say “FDA-certified, food-grade meat,” you could be feeding them anything from pesticide-infused corn to dead, dying or diseased animal parts. Certified organic products have no added pesticides or hormones, use minimal processing, and are higher in vital nutrients. FDA-certified food-grade meat is AA- or A-grade meat, which is considered safe for human consumption. Many traditional pet food companies use grade D or lower.
[[ KEEP READING! THE FULL ARTICLE, WITH 9 MORE ECO-PET TIPS, IS AT LIFE.GAIAM.COM]]
[Image courtesy of Yukari on flickr.com]
July 11th, 2008 at 6:24 am
Awesome article Victoria! My hubby and I still use plastic grocery bags with much guilt, but we have two HUGE dogs to walk and we reuse the bags as pooper scoopers. I’m going to order some of the biodegradable corn bags instead and start carrying my cloth tote bags to the grocery store.
July 11th, 2008 at 10:16 am
Hooray - I helped someone! It is always great to hear that my work has helped to educated others about the ease of living green. I use the biodegradable bags in my bathroom’s trash can because they fit so easily. You will wonder how you ever lived without them!
July 15th, 2008 at 10:41 am
Thanks so much for bringing this issue to the forefront, Victoria! We have switched our kitties to all organic food, only buy organic catnip toys made from hemp, and even use wheat based litter. Some may think it’s a little overboard but they’re like our babies and they deserve the same pure goodness as we do!
So happy I came across your site!
July 21st, 2008 at 9:15 am
Great article. Children aren’t the only ones who need to be considered in green living. Our pets are so susceptible to chemicals on lawns and in foods. Being smaller than us, they are generally impacted more than adults. The give us unconditional love, why shouldn’t we give them the best greenest existence we can.
SteamboatEcobroker
August 25th, 2008 at 9:59 am
[…] and cooling bills! Victoria E presents The Unspoken Global Warming Resolution: Short Hair and VE on Gaiam Life: 10 Ways to Green Your Pet posted at Victoria Everman :: Sustainable, Creative, Enlightened Living :: San Francisco. […]