Pet Care: Make it Eco-Friendly

• Food: Many ingredients that go into pet food are unhealthy for your pet and use meat by-products that are not considered healthy for human consumption. You can find a list of the best and worst ingredients and products used in a report released by NaturalNews.com at http://www.naturalnews.com/Report_pet_food_ingredients_0.html. Fortunately, many pet food retailers are now providing natural and organic options-just ask! Some of the brands you can look for include Merrick’s, Newman’s Own Organic Pet Food, Evo, TikkiCat, and Wellness. To find online distributers or to search different products, check out the Only Natural Pet Food Store at http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/. Also, check out the Greeniacs Guide on making your own pet food! http://www.greeniacs.com/GreeniacsGuides/Make-Green-Pet-Food.html

• Pet Waste: Admittedly, pets produce a lot of waste. Approximately 10 million tons of pet waste make it to our landfills every year—that waste being unsanitary for our soil, water, and air. Almost 2 million of those tons are a result of clay cat litter because it is not biodegradable. Aside from staying in our landfills, conventional cat litter is full of chemicals and fragrances that can be toxic to your pet and the environment. Instead, try using a natural, biodegradable litter made from plant-based products. A couple of options include SwheatScoop Wheat and Green Tea Clumping Cat Litter. For more options and to compare prices, check out http://cats.about.com/od/accessories/tp/aapremiumlitter.htm. You can even make you own from wood shavings, recycled paper, sawdust, corncobs, dried orange peels, and even wheat bran. If you have a dog or other animal that goes to the bathroom outside, be sure to pick up their waste as well! You can now find biodegradable AND compostable bags to pick up their waste. If they are not available at your local pet store, you can order some from BioBag at http://www.biobagusa.com/biobag_dog.htm.

• Shampoos & Other Products: Animals love to play outside, roll in dirt, run through sand, and they may fall victim to seasonal ticks and fleas. Regardless of the cause, many pets need to be pampered in some way too. Most of the shampoos, conditioners, repellents, and other products contain very strong chemicals that are not good for your pet or for the environment. You can find a whole array of natural and organic grooming products and some herbal flea repellents at http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/ and http://greenpawsdirect.com/.

• Toys & Other Gear: Everyone loves to spoil their pet. Unfortunately, you can do an injustice to your pet by buying them a toxic toy, collar, or other product. Many pets love to chew on plastic toys causing them to leach unnecessary chemicals into their systems. Or they may wear synthetic gear that is not good for their skin or for the environment. You can find help stuffed toys and more at http://www.ecoanimal.com/dog_toys.html. From the Field makes all natural and organic catnip at http://www.sur-le-champ.com/. Great Green Pet offers some products made from recycled materials for cats, dogs, birds etc http://greatgreenpet.com/. Or you can always try making your own products: pine cones makes great chew toys, your old sheets could be stuffed to make pet beds, stuff your old ties or socks to make fetch toys, and the list goes on. Get creative and have fun with it!