How to Go Green as a Pet Parent

Today is Earth Day, and what better way is there to celebrate than to figure out some ways you can be a more environmentally-minded parent to your furry best friend. Ready to take the leap and start making our planet a better place? AVC has got you covered with some of these easy tips.

1. Eco-Friendly Foods.

Just like buying organic foods for yourself can help to reduce the amount of synthetic fertilizers, irradiation, and genetic engineering, switching your furry best friend to organic dog food or cat food can help the environment. Many green alternatives for pet food exist, but it is important to double check that your new food choice still meets the dietary needs of your little guy or gal and to make any dietary changes gradually and with caution. If you’re thinking about switching up your pet’s food, chat with our vet-techs at AVC to make sure your new food choice is healthy and safe.

2. Donate What You Don’t Need!

Has your pup or kitty cat gotten a little bigger in the past few years, or do some of their old toys not get as much love as they used to? Don’t just throw these things away! Instead, consider donating some of your old pet supplies that are still in good shape to a local shelter or a furry best friend of another pet parent.

3. Pick Up After Your Pet.

Though it may not be the most fun area of your pet parenting routine, finding greener ways to get rid of your dog’s poop or dispose of your cat’s litter. Consider a backyard composting system for animal waste, and attempt to use more eco-friendly methods to pick up when you’re not at home such as newspaper, paper bags, or a dog pooper scooper.

For your cat, trying switching to a more eco-friendly kitty litter. However, be sure to do this slowly with a mixture of the new and old types to avoid your little fluff ball going outside of the litter box.

4. Spay our Neuter Your Pets!

Not only does spaying or neutering your pet help to reduce pet overpopulation, but it also helps the environment as well. By reducing the number of animals that are stuck roaming the streets, you also reduce the amount of pet waste left by roaming animals, which is a serious environmental hazard.

5. Let’s Get Creative.

Upcycling some old objects from around the house could lead to the creation of your furry best friend’s new favorite toy. Find some old sturdy cardboard boxes from around the house to build your dog or cat an obstacle course, or make a ball of aluminum foil for your cat to bat around. Just be sure to supervise play time to make sure that toys don’t get broken and become safety hazards!