 |  1052132 | Jun 7, 2007 3:43pm | Oh yes,fluffy and fido
1. Adopt from a shelter
Pet breeders have only one goal in mind--to raise large quantities of purebred animals for profit. They've also been pilloried for misdeeds such as overbreeding, inbreeding, poor veterinary oversight, lousy food and living conditions, overcrowding, and culling of unwanted animals. Why buy when you can adopt one of the 70,000 puppies and kittens born every day in the United States? Love knows no pedigree. Check out Petfinder.com to find your perfect match.
petfinder.com [petfinder.com]
Spay or neuter your pet
70,000 puppies and kittens are born every day in the United States? That's 15 puppies and 45 kittens for every hairless biped that slides out of a birth canal and "multiplying like bunnies" isn't just any old trope. We don't need any more homeless animals than we already have. As a bonus, spaying and neutering helps dogs and cats live longer, healthier lives by eliminating the possibility of uterine, ovarian, and testicular cancer, and decreasing the incidence of prostate disease.
Rein in your pets; protect native wildlife
Always keep your dog on a leash when outside, and confine your mangy feline indoors. Topped only perhaps by habitat destruction, cats are the biggest, baddest bird killers of all time. Even wind turbines have got nothing on them. While you may chalk up cat-related bird-mortality rates as collateral damage in the great Circle of Life, domestic cats do have an unfair advantage. Unlike wild predators, house cats are always well fed, well rested, and in tip-top fighting shape.
That aside, two out of three vets, according to the Humane Society of America, recommend keeping cats indoors, because of the dangers of cars, predators, disease, and other hazards. The estimated average life span of a free-roaming cat is less than three years; an indoors-only cat gets to live an average of 15 to 18 years. If kitty needs to heed the call of the wild, an outdoor cat enclosure is a good compromise.
4. Swap out the junk food
Most conventional pet-food brands you find at the supermarket consist of reconstituted animal by-products, otherwise known as low-grade wastes from the beef and poultry industries--you know, inedibles you wouldn't touch with a ten-foot fork. In fact, the animals used to make many pet foods are classified as "4-D," which is really a polite way of saying "Dead, Dying, Diseased, or Down (Disabled)" when they line up at the slaughterhouse. Unless that can of Chicken `N Liver Delite explicitly states that it contains FDA-certified, food-grade meat, you should know that its contents are considered unfit for human consumption--but apparently good enough for your cat or pooch.
Natural and organic pet foods use meats that are raised in sustainable, humane ways without added drugs or hormones, minimally processed, and preserved with natural substances, such as vitamins C and E. Certified-organic pet foods must meet strict USDA standards that spell out how ingredients are produced and processed, which means no pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, artificial preservatives, artificial ingredients or genetically engineered ingredients. earthdog.com [earthdog.com]
5. Clean up their poop
Scoop up your doggie doo in biodegradable poop bags so your buddy's No. 2 isn't immortalized in a plastic bag, while deep-sixed in a landfill somewhere for hundreds of years. Cat owners should avoid clumping clay litter at all costs. Not only is clay strip-mined (bad for the planet), but the clay sediment is also permeated with carcinogenic silica dust that can coat little kitty lungs (bad for the cat). Plus, the sodium bentonite that acts as the clumping agent can poison your cat through chronic ingestion through their fastidious need to groom. Because sodium bentonite acts like expanding cement--it's also used as a grouting, sealing, and plugging material--it can swell up to15 to18 times their dry size and clog up your cat's insides. Eco-friendly cat litters avoid these problems; a happy cat is a cat that doesn't claw your face off.
6. Give them sustainable goods
Your furry friends can get in on some saving-the-planet goodness, too--and have plenty of fun--with toys made from recycled materials or sustainable fibers (sans herbicides or pesticides) such as hemp. A hemp collar (with matching leash) is a rocking accessory for a tree-hugging mutt. These days, you can even get pet beds made with organic cotton or even recycled PET bottles.
Tag your pet
It might be a stretch to call inserting an electronic ID chip into your pet an eco-friendly move, but losing your buddy causes extreme emotional distress that turns you into nobody's friend. Then there's the paper waste from printing out Missing posters, the fuel cost of driving around your neighborhood trying to find them, the phone bill as you bawl your eyes out to everyone you know ... well, you get the idea. Ask your vet for more info. For hanging tags, check out these recyclable (and recycled) aluminum ID tags shop.robbinspetcare.com/dogs/diamondplatetags.html [shop.robbinspetcare.com/dogs/diamondplatetags.html] and these WaggTaggs made from recycled silver.mommytags.com/index.php [mommytags.com/index.php]
 This scratching box is made of recycled cardboard, and infused with catnip. A good gift for a cat hugger? It also comes with a package of organic catnip by ZOOM!. The price is $6.99 or $9.99. petsmart.com/ps/main.jsp [petsmart.com/ps/main.jsp]
** Now I used to work in a factory that had a huge waste of large cardboard boxes.The ones used to ship BIG things in.It's nothing to grab something like that,make a shadow box out of scrap wood and line cardboard in it. |
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Sponsor |  berrypicker | Jun 14, 2007 8:01pm | | If you think cats are happy and safe roaming free through your neighborhood read this abcbirds.org/cats/ [abcbirds.org/cats/] please! please! do not let your cats roam and kill small native wildlife. Cats are non-native exotic pets and should be treated that way. |
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| | | 1052132 | Jun 14, 2007 8:42pm | Damn straight and here's a reason TO ACTUALLY BE RESPONSIBLE.
Now I adopted so my stance is off on this.
Yes, it is a good idea..given how many strays need homes.
But my dog is a mixed breed and I can't imagine the "mixed personalities"
Being no more.....
But because PEOPLE can't get their shit right...
tinyurl.com/2uomqa [tinyurl.com/2uomqa]
California may become the only U.S. state to require the sterilization of pets under a bill passed by the state Assembly, pitting dog and cat lovers against animal rights activists.
"It's a horrific bill," said Maureen Hill-Hauch, executive director of Castleton, New York-based American Dog Owners Association, adding that enforcement of the bill in theory could wipe out California's dog population.
The bill would require pet owners to spay and neuter their dogs and cats, or face a $500 fine for each animal.
Breeders, as well as owners of guide dogs, could obtain exemptions. |
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| | | ChoofMonster | Jun 16, 2007 3:22am | Our pet laws have been similar for years now - desexed animals cost less to register, owning more than a certain number of animals requires a permit (2cats/3dogs), some dogs are banned as pets (American Pit Bulls and dingoes, the latter being a protected species). In Australia, there is good reason for this: Dogs hunt in packs, cats are solitary predators, and they breed prolifically in the wild.
I adopted one cat from a shelter as an adult, the other was from a friend's litter. Both are desexed, vaccinated and microchipped - the council just found out about the two-year-old from the microchip people ( car.com.au [car.com.au] ) so I have to get him registered. So much for the "Privacy Act" - apparently it doesn't apply to animals (animal welfare officers have more powers than police for search-and-enter, they don't need a warrant). Adopting an animal is almost like adopting a child - they make sure that you are a fit and proper owner.
The problem with commercial pet food is that it is all made by the same company - Menu Foods (their tainted shipment to Australia war recalled). Rendered circus animals with chicken or fish flavoring. Cats and dogs are carnivores, they cannot live on vegetarian diets (although dogs will eat some vegetables mixed with their food). Pet food has changed ingredients over the years, too - when last did you see a calcified (white) dog poo? |
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| | | 1052132 | Jun 16, 2007 11:46am | I think we could use this thread for recalls on pet food too, now that ya mention it.
Adoption practices for animals have been getting tougher here as well.This is obviously a good idea but some have gone militant with it.
I adopted Nelson 2 years ago..a year later another group denied me and gave no reason why.Pissed me off.
The katrina mess...oiy.You basically had to drive down there to adopt or foster any animal.I hope a good many learned from that.
I wanna touch on aquariums.I recalled the apt we referred to as "hell's kitchen".omg
Some sound advice here:aquarticles.com/articles/management/Aquariumpros_Chiller.html [aquarticles.com/articles/management/Aquariumpros_Chiller.html]
I had cichlids back then and they had some size.They played with ice cubes...lol
I'm not going to say that's good for all fish...no idea.These were big badass fish,somethin' little might not fare as well...shrugs.
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thisgreenlife.wordpress.com [thisgreenlife.wordpress.com]
About the Editor: Green Chick
I'm a pet lover with a new found passion for living a sustainable and eco-friendly lifestyle. I research pet care for a living and I'm trying to sift through all the information and disinformation that's floating around out there. I believe in voting with your wallet and since 63% of Americans own a pet I know that we can make a big impact. Follow me as I try and steer clear of chemicals and pesticides while keeping my sanity and my budget. |
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Sponsor | | sagemark | Jun 24, 2007 8:53am | I have 2 dogs (Dalmation and a Blue Heeler) , 2 cats (Russian Blue and a Tabby). They are all fixed. The cats come and go at will, so I don't have a litter box inside. They are great at keeping the rats and mice to a minimum. Both are too old and fat to get in the tree tops anymore but I'll find an occasional plume of feathers in the yard.
We use Frontline for flea control. Speaking of budgets, it is a pretty hefty portion. If you find a good alternative that works as well for less, please let us know. |
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| | | ChoofMonster | Jun 24, 2007 9:18am | | Fleas become immune to insecticides after a while. The supermarket brands don't seem to work as well as the ones bought from vets. Frontline and Advantage seem to be the two brands used. I don't treat my cats any more, they have no fleas and it's just an extra cost and a poisonous chemical for them to lick off each other. Fleas are merely annoying to older animals, but can kill a small puppy or kitten. |
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Sponsor | | sagemark | Jun 24, 2007 11:10am | I must admit the flea control is more for me than the pets. Since all my pets are indoor/outdoor they all get treated. I've seen flea infestation and it is more than annoying.
Frontline has kept a pretty good control on things. Advantage did not do the job. We tried it and immediately switched back the next time around.
My wife is a great flea tracker. I've never seen anything like it. She will hunt down a single flea. I've always considered it a loosing battle after it springs away from the first attempt, but she will canvas the area until it is found and eliminated. |
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| | | ChoofMonster | Jun 26, 2007 3:27pm | I adopted my cat from here: rspcavic.org [rspcavic.org] . As far as I am aware, there aren't any "no kill" shelters around here. The cat of the week is usually the next in line for euthanasia - mine was four years old (most people want kittens) and came with instructions: No other cats, no children, careful she is aggressive etc. It took less than six weeks to gain her trust, now she is calm and friendly - she likes other cats and people (it was defensive aggression - very easy to overcome with some cuddles and attention).
I use recycled paper pellets as litter - the clay/clumping/chemical ones can cause problems.
Renting with pets can be an issue - I hid her for almost 4 years from my landlord. The "no pets" contract I signed was illegal, according to federal law (which overrides state law applying only to guide dogs) - few people are aware of this. Many bodies corporate (which run blocks of units or flats) disallow pets, which is apparently legal - not a problem for me now, everyone else owns dogs in this group of units and they are pet-friendly. |
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