We have all heard about a person or group’s carbon footprint but not many people consider their pet’s carbon pawprint (or footprint). Our furry friends might actually have a significant impact on global warming – they are responsible for 64 million tons of carbon emissions per year.
Dogs and cats are responsible for 2.5% of total greenhouse gas emissions in the US. This comes from the food that they eat, the waste that they create, the toys and products that they consume and possibly the way that they were born.
In America, about 40% of households have at least one dog compared to just 6% in China. But in recent years, China has seen an increase of pet owners. Possible reasons for this change is the increase in disposable income in China combined with the history of only being allowed to have one child while knowing the cost of raising a child is much higher than getting a dog.
In India, Vietnam and Thailand the number of dog owners is also growing every year. India is one of the fastest growing pet market in the world right now.
The carbon pawprint of dogs in the west is greater than humans in some developing countries. But with the trend of an increase of pet ownership in highly populated countries like China and India, the global carbon pawprint for cats and dogs will only get worse.
Let’s take a look at how a pet could possibly contribute to global warming.
Pet Food Choices To Minimize Carbon Pawprint
Both dogs and cats typically eat mostly meat. Cats are carnivores, they must eat meat. Dogs however, are omnivores so they can eat meat and vegetables.
One of the biggest contributors to global carbon emissions and global water scarcity is modern agriculture. Specifically the raising of livestock.
A very popular study on the Environmental impacts of food consumption by dogs and cats was published in August 2017. It takes an in depth look at the very complex calculation to discover just what the average carbon pawprint of American dogs and cats is.
In the US, dogs and cats constitute about 25% of the environmental impacts from growing, producing and consuming livestock. Although pets are smaller and consume on average only 20% of the amount of dietary energy that humans consume, their food has a higher concentration of animal protein.
Also, the meat that is fed to cats and dogs is highly processed into various different formats like kibble. The more processed the food, the higher the emissions involved in the production.
In the past, pets were fed the lower quality, non human grade cuts of meat. Ingredients like bone meal are often in cat and dog food, this is something that humans do not eat. But the growing trend has been to feed pets higher quality meat. The problem with this is that pets will be eating the meat that could be given to humans while the lower grade cuts will be wasted.
It is very important to feed your pet the correct amount of food, not only for their health but to minimize the emissions from the growing and production of the food. Approximately 60% of cats and 56% of dogs in the US were overweight or obese in 2018.
“Calorie reduction/smaller portions” as a method for for pet weight loss was taken by 68% of the pet owners in a study about pet obesity in 2018 by Pet Obesity Prevention. Other methods included increased exercise and switch to low-calorie pet food.
You can decrease your pet’s pawprint by choosing pet food that doesn’t use human grade meats and choose poultry-based, fish or venison foods over beef-based. And don’t overfeed your pet!
Switching your dog to a diet with less meat, vegetarian or even vegan is reasonable but with cats it is more difficult. Cats need certain amino acids and vitamins that are easily found in meat.
There is ongoing debate about whether a cat can be a vegan or not. Some cats have lived long healthy lives as vegan with their owners taking care of their dietary needs.
You will find a few brands of vegan cat food. If you make the switch be sure to monitor for signs of overall health like their fur, skin, eye sight or trouble urinating.
There are several brands of dog foods that are vegan. For example, V-Dog is a plant-based kibble for dogs free from fillers like corn, soy and wheat.
The Problem With Poop
According to the 2017 study published in the Plos One Journal, in the US, dogs and cats produce about 30% as much feces as humans. This is equivalent to the amount of trash produced by more than 6 million Americans. In some cities, pet poo makes up to 4% of the waste in a landfill.
The best thing to do when you are out walking your dog is to pick up poop. Even if you are out in a forest it is best to pick up otherwise the poop can end up in waterways and cause bacterial contamination.
Once you’ve picked up dog poo, you have a few choices wtih what to do with it. Depending on where you live, you might choose to flush the doo down the toilet (not the bag!). Even if the bag says it is flushable, it can cause problems with the city sewer system. If you live on a septic system this might not be an option for you.
The EPA suggests flushing dog poo is the most ecologically friendly way to dispose of it. The benefit of flushing dog poo is that it can be properly treated with human waste. But do not do this with cat poo, it may contain a parasite that can be harmful to people and animals.
If you aren’t keen on bringing your dogs poop inside to flush, the next best thing would be to compost it with a doggie composter. These special composts for dog waste are treated with a starter mix used to breakdown the waste, eliminate smell and remediate any pathogens. The soil that comes out of a dog poop composter can be used in your non-edible gardens.
In some areas, dog poop is allowed to be included in municipal organics bins. In Toronto, dog poop is encouraged to go in the green bin if it is in a certified compostable plastic or paper bag, or wrapped in newspaper or paper towel.
In other municipalities, there are special bins for dog waste only. In North Vancouver, there are red bins available to take dog poo where each bag of poop is opened and the poo taken to the wastewater treatment plant for safe disposal.
If you are an adventurous type, you might like to try a reusable dog poo bag like Poof. As your dog is curled up ready to do their business, you can slip this dog bag under to catch the feces. Then it cinches and uncinches when you are ready to drop it in the toilet. It is easily rinsed and dried.
As mentioned above, you should not flush cat poo down the toilet. There are many options recycled and biodegradable kitty litter. Wood pellet based litters are more sustainable than clay litter. The wood pellets are compostable and it is dust-free.
If you use a wood pellet based litter, you can compost it in your backyard poop compost wtih an enzyme to help break down the waste.
Rescue Dogs That Don’t “Litter”
As we now know the number of household pets all over the world is increasing year over year. The carbon pawprint of cats and dogs is not minimal mainly because of the food they eat, and is only going to increase at this rate.
For those people considering getting a new pet, choosing a rescue instead of a puppy from a breeder is a more environmentally friendly choice. This is because we should try to give homes to the pets that already exist rather than increasing the populations further.
Most dog shelters spay and neuter pets and give them the appropriate vaccinations. Whether your pet comes from a shelter or breeder, making sure to control the pet population by spaying or neutering them is very important. Do not “litter” your pet (allow your pet to have a littler)!
Toys and Products
In 2019, $95 billion was spent on pets in the US. This breaks down into food and treats (of which most pets get 9 treats per day), products, medicine and care services. It is amazing to see the amount of products that are on the market from dog houses with air conditioning to pet treadmills to self flushing litter boxes.
We have already discussed the carbon emissions due to the growing, production and consumption of pet food but there is also the emissions due to pet products. Many conventional toys for pets are produced in large factories, are made from plastic or other synthetic material and very quickly get ripped apart by cats and dogs. They end up in the landfill after only a few uses.
The key to decreasing your dog or cat’s carbon pawprint is to avoid factory-produced toys that can be destroyed in seconds as well as single use Hallowe’en costumes. Try to have fewer toys but make sure they are durable and made from natural fibres like antlers, hemp and wood.
If you feel your furry friend doesn’t have enough variety in their play items, consider hosting a dog gear swap. It is similar to a human clothing swap where you gather a group of friends who all bring a dog toy or gear along that they no longer use. You can swap and make sure that your gear finds a new home while maybe finding something “new” that your pet will love.
Zero waste stores often offer low carbon footprint shampoo and cleaning supplies for your pet. You might also choose to purchase your kibble this way so that you can use your own container and reduce the amount of waste / recycling required.
You can purchase more than just toys and costumes for a cat or dog, there are also all types of beds, crates, kennels, leashes, dishes and bowls etc. Always try to select ones made out of natural materials that will last a long time.
Activities Are Generally Environmentally Friendly
Some have argued that dogs might actually decrease your carbon footprint (or theirs) by the fact that when you are spending time with your dog, it is usually walking outdoors. When people are walking outdoors they are not driving their cars or consuming items at a mall. So this should be considered in the calculation of their carbon pawprint.
As long as you are picking up after your dog on a trail, walking your dog is considered a carbon neutral activity. Make sure to leave no trace on the trails.
Travelling with your pet is not always easy (another reason pet activities can be carbon neutral). But the couple from longhaultrekkers.com always travel with their dogs. The prefer to travel by bike with a trailer for their dogs. They have done this type of travel all over the world and created that website to offer ideas and product reviews for travelling with your dog.
Depending on what type of travel you decide to do with your dog you might need to add or subtract from their carbon pawprint.
Most places in a city do not allow dogs so often you have to decide between doing errands or walking your dog. But many places are now creating space for pets in public spaces. This will get people walking more reducing the impact of driving a car.
Sidewalk dog houses are gaining popularity in cities like Seattle. Hellodogspot.com is an app you can use to find a sidewalk dog house near you. You create an account on your mobile device, pop your dog in the little house and lock the door. After your quick shop in a nearby store you can use your mobile to unlock the door and let your dog out. The little houses use UV lights to kill bacteria, viruses and molds between uses.
If the emissions used to drive a car are less than the emissions used to build the houses and power them, this is a great way to get people and their pets to run their errands together!
What Can I Do If I Have A Pet
There are many benefits for human health in favour of living with a pet. Decreased blood pressure, increased opportunity for exercise and outdoor activities, decreased stress and anxiety, increased capacity for empathy and social contact and so on.
A study published in BioScience “The Ecological Paw Print of Companion Dogs and Cats” concludes that people with a pet are healthier than non-pet owners. However, futher knowledge and awareness are needed about the environmental impact of owning a pet.
If you don’t already have a pet but you want to get one, you can consider a smaller pet as they have lower carbon pawprints. Also consider having less pets or more time in between pets.
So what do those of us that have a wonderful furry family member do to decrease our family carbon pawprint?
- feed your pet the appropriate amount of food for their size, avoid pet obesity
- consider a vegetarian diet for dogs
- if you still feed your pet meat, avoid beef
- avoid low quality pet toys that will be ripped apart in minutes, plastic and mass produced far away
- purchase biodegradable poop bags or better yet, get a backyard compost and a shovel
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