Ways to be a Sustainable Pet Parent

There is no question that every pet owner desires to keep their pet healthy and happy for as long as they live. During the course of achieving this goal, we do everything we can; providing the best food, protecting against various parasites, buying them toys to play with, and so on. We may not see the effects immediately, but every single choice we make has an impact on the environment. Therefore, it is a great challenge for an eco-friendly pet owner to maintain the right balance between their animal’s needs and the environment.

Here we have prepared a guide that can help you make more sustainable choices for your pet and contribute your bit to the well-being of the environment.

Buy ENVIRONMENT-FRIENDLY Pet Food

Try to avoid packaged food and look for places that sell unpackaged food and allow you to carry it in your own sustainable containers. If you do not get this option, look for diets with recyclable packaging. For pets on meat diets, avoid beef and buy chicken-based meat food. Check with different pet food stores that sell meat by-products prepared from bone-meal, organ-meat, or made with sustainable plant-based ingredients.

Don’t BUY, Always ADOPT

According to statistics, about 65 million stray animals live in America with no food and permanent home. Adopting a pet means you will give a stray animal their basic need and, best of all, the love they badly need. Additionally, when you rescue any dog or cat from a charity or shelter, it will help reduce the overpopulation of these street animals and diminish the environmental problems.

Use ECO-FRIENDLY parasite preventions

Take your pet for grooming and bathe them regularly, wash their bedding, and vacuuming frequently should help you control the flea population. However, the use of chemically composite flea and tick treatments is necessary when the infestation rate is higher than normal.

Some of these parasite-controlling treatments are not only harmful to your pets, but they also leave a significantly bad impact on the environment. Talk to your veterinarian and ask for oral flea preventatives or treatments that are non-toxic or have fewer harmful chemicals.

DISPOSE the waste PROPERLY

Another simple but important way for pet owners to become more environmentally conscious is to reduce waste. Do not leave your pet’s poop out in the park or on the ground because it can be passed into watersheds, where it can harm other animals and make people sick. Use bio-degradable poop bags or use a compost bin. Avoid flushing your cat’s waste because it can pollute water and badly affect sea animals; throw it in the trash instead.

Buy SUSTAINABLE toys

Reduce the number of toys in your home that contain harmful plastics. There are several companies that manufacture toys and other pet products from recyclable materials. Spunky Pup is one popular brand that manufactures pet toys made from eco-friendly materials. Also, refurbishing old products is an excellent way of being environmentally conscious at the same time as entertaining your pets. Old toilet tubes, which can be crafted into balls, or an old t-shirt can be used as a pull-toy.

CONCLUSION

In the end, it is to be remembered that the smallest change we make today in our day-to-day habits towards becoming more environment-friendly can significantly contribute to the health of our planet in the long run.