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Marina and experts say you and your cat can help save the environment – and even money – by taking a few simple steps. Here are five easy ways for claws to turn green.
Be environmentally friendly with waste management
Start with how you handle your cat’s poop. Use compostable trash made from recycled paper or plant materials that decompose, such as wheat, grass seed, and corn.
Marina uses Catalyst Pet litter made from sustainable softwood. She says, “I feel good that I’m not contributing to the huge amount of trash that stays in the environment for a long time.”
The catalyst spins the wood they use to make the product. “We collect clean, unused wood chips from local producers — which will eventually end up in landfill — and turn them into high-performance cat litter,” says Jonah Levine, Catalyst Team Leader.
You can also buy biodegradable cat litter bags and litter boxes made of cardboard, bamboo, and paper.
Make trash a precious toy
Can the scraps you just cleaned out of the closet make for a good kitty? You can save money, get your things out of the landfill, repurpose them, and spark your cat’s curiosity.
“Look around your home for old clothes, towels, jackets, water bottles, or toilet paper rolls,” says integrated veterinarian Dr. Carol Osborne. You can take a roll of toilet paper, cover it with an old sheet or jacket, and put several things inside that rattle, such as buttons or peanuts. These things stimulate your cat’s instincts.”
Don’t forget the irresistible cardboard box. “Cats can hide, climb, and chew to meet their instinctive needs,” says Samantha Bell, cat content strategist for Best Friends Animal Society. “My cat loves to bat around recycled waste like plastic bottle caps and crumpled paper.”
Look for sustainability signs and seals
The 2021-2022 American Pet Products Association National Pet Owners Survey revealed that 8% of cat owners purchased food made with sustainable and human-sourced ingredients. And nearly half of all pet owners are willing to pay more for pet products that are ethically, eco-friendly, and BPA-free.
How do you know if what you’re buying is sustainable? Look for third-party approval seals that show companies or products that have passed an certification or certification process.
Some Purina cat foods carry the Marine Stewardship Council’s seal of approval stating that they are certified to use sustainably sourced seafood.
“At Purina, we look to sustainability from the full lifecycle of our products, from the farms where we source the ingredients and how we make pet food in our factories to the packaging that makes it in the pet owner’s home,” says Bouckert, Senior Director of Portfolio Innovation, Optimization and Sustainability at Purina . “We are committed to doing our part to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at every step.”
Catalyst is certified by the Pet Sustainability Alliance (PSC). The nonprofit organization helps companies improve their sustainability through profitable environmental and social practices. PSC certifies companies that pass their verification process.
“We have a strong message: You don’t have to sacrifice performance for sustainability,” Jonah says. Our slogan is on every package: ‘Love your pet, change your planet. “
Jump on the Internet and look for business. Nature’s Logic website is filled with earth-friendly seals, awards, and credits that the company has earned.
The Triple T Studios website says the Tiniest Tiger horizontal round cat scratcher is made from recyclable corrugated cardboard. The company also manufactures eco-friendly kitty toys and donates to help big cat conservation projects globally.
Recycle that bag, can or box
Is the container your cat’s food or litter came in recyclable? Check product packaging, your local rules and find these recycling bins. You may miss an opportunity.
PSC found that an estimated 300 million pounds of pet food and treat bags are produced each year in the United States, but not more than 99% of it is recycled.
Many cat food containers are also recyclable. “Aluminum can be recycled over and over again, and recycling cans rather than remanufacturing them from raw materials uses 95% less energy, which makes putting them in the right recycling bin worth our energy,” says Nida.
Potsi goes on a special diet, and Marina ensures that the containers do not end up in the garbage. “I have a special toothbrush that I use to clean cans. I scrub it and let it dry and put it in our trash.”
Sterilization, neutralization and adoption
Cat overpopulation puts pressure on the planet. By spaying your cat, you can help reduce the chances that your female cat will create six more litters. If your cat is an unpopular male in town, he may end up being an absentee father to many generations of kitties.
“When you spay and neuter, there are fewer cats, especially feral and feral cats. You will have a lower carbon footprint because there are fewer pets in the world to care for and less cat litter,” says Dr. Osborne.
It also means fewer cats will die. Best Friends found that in 2021, more than 2.2 million cats entered US shelters, and more than 240,000 were killed.
“The best way to be as eco-friendly as possible in the cat world is to adopt your cat from a shelter or rescue,” Samantha says. “Give a home to your cat in need and create an open space to save another cat’s life.”
Marina adopts rescued cats and makes sure they are spayed or neutered. “I think it’s vital,” she says. “I want to be conscious of future generations. It’s a no-brainer.”
before recycling
Do not throw a bag or can in the recycling bin. You need to clean them first so they don’t contaminate other items they come into contact with in the container.
Just follow these quick steps:
- Cleaning – remove all food waste. Rinse it well if it is a bowl. For cardboard, the EPA says it should be “spoon cleaned.”
- Dry it if it is wet.
- Flatten it if it is square.
Composting or expelling cat poop?
Do you think composting your cat’s feces is a good way to help the planet? stop there. It can actually harm the environment.
Cat litter may carry viruses, bacteria, and parasites, such as Toxoplasma gondii. Most home compost piles don’t get hot enough to kill pathogens, and they can spread through soil and water.
Endangered Hawaiian seals, sea otters and other wildlife have died from toxoplasmosis, the disease caused by the parasite. The CDC says cats are the only known host for the organism, which can be devastating to some people if they become infected.
Some commercial composters may process the waste at temperatures high enough to kill dangerous pathogens.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency tells Catster, “The correct way to dispose of pet waste is to secure it in a municipal waste management bag to send to a landfill.”
Some water treatment plants may not kill toxoplasma, so check your community’s rules before flushing cat feces down the toilet. If your cat stays indoors and eats a commercial diet, the risk of infection with the parasite is lower.
See more tips at: epa.gov/recycle/how-do-i-recycle-common-recyclables
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