A Green Family and Other (Equine) Animals e talk a lot about our carbon footprint, but what about the “environmental pawprint” of companion animals? If we as humans are eating organic and moving towards a plant-based diet (for some, in the main; for others, entirely), then why should such considerations not apply also to those four-legged creatures we share our homes with? These questions have been at the forefront of the approach of such companies as Beco, the first producer of dry dog food to ensure its “White Fish” option contained only MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) certified fish. Its bamboo pet bowls are also a popular purchase of many, while its compostable poo bags are imported from Britain by some 50 countries. With a boom in pet purchases in the lockdown, according to PDSA (the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals) approximately 51% of us now keep companion animals. “Eco scrutiny” is not so much a luxurious contemplation when one has the responsibility of a pet, but a necessity in living as sustainably as possible. And what pet food we buy is critical in chipping away at any negative impact having non-human animals in our lives might cause. It is estimated that 25% of meat production’s environmental impact is caused by pet food manufacture. That said, dogs and cats are traditionally fed on offcuts from the human meat industry. Therefore, it we are striving to switch their diet to one similar to our own – free-range and organic and seemingly eco-friendly – are we not as a result creating more waste? To this end, companies such as Lily’s Kitchen use unwanted offal or organ meat in their recipes. This raises the much-debated question of the safety or otherwise of having Fido follow in the footsteps of vegetarian and vegan humans. Biologically, cats are obligate carnivores and cannot survive without meat amino acids. By contrast, dogs are in fact omnivorous and can in theory exist without animal flesh. However, it is veterinarian-advised that meat consumption reduction is preferable to total removal in the canine diet. 60
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On the topic of cats and the – um – tail end of what they eat, have you ever considered the environmental impact of puss’ litterbox? There is a wide range of litters to choose from these days, certainly (clumping and non-clumping; scented and unscented; even flushable, though a study by the University of California strongly indicating a correlation with the high infection rate of otters by Toxoplasma gondii does raise concerns about the long-term safety of this last option). However, a first and basic decision – despite the cost implications – should be to step away from clay in any case. Before the 1940s, cats’ litterboxes were filled with sawdust and sand or dirt and ashes, after which one Mr Edward Lowe came up with the idea of using Fuller’s Earth to save having mucky paw prints everywhere. Unfortunately, Fuller’s Earth is strip mined and excavated, the topsoil and any flora on the land utterly removed, scarring the natural landscape, deforesting it and ruining wildlife habitats, not to mention depleting any natural minerals present. Comprising raw bentonite clay, in just one year the US sees some 2 million tonnes pulled up from just that area of the globe. The clay you lovingly lay down for your beloved feline is not simply a matter of planet to domestic abode, though, as in order to make it absorbent it is baked and baked again at temperatures that can reach 2000 degrees Fahrenheit and burn through incredible amounts of fuel in the process. After cooling, it is crushed to fine granules, packaged, and transported for sale in-store. If that weren’t negatively impacting enough on the environment, clay litter cannot be composted and it not only ends up in landfills, but it isn’t biodegradable. Further, those who scoop faeces into a plastic bag before placing it in the rubbish bin, which in turn is in a refuse sack, only serve to ensure all this used, soiled clay cat litter never breaks down. And crystal cat litters are no better, being produced by the same methods as clay, but with sodium silicate sand instead.
