LOS ANGELES–Pets are great companions. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, there are over 60 million cats and 80 million dogs in U.S. households alone. Indeed, these furry friends are hard not to love. Dogs embrace their owners with unconditional affection, while cats, well, they have their own way of loving their humans.
Pets have already carved an irreplaceable place in our lives, but as they take over our homes and we shower them with care, it is easy to ignore what potential consequences their presence may bring. Just think about it, pets are an unusual occurrence in nature.
Rarely do we see an organism — that is not a symbiotic parasite — completely rely upon another organism who willingly provides them with food, shelter, and other resources. This adorable but unnatural relationship brings with it some surprising environmental impacts.
I know it may be painful to consider how your adorable puppy or a friend’s fluffy cat could be harmful, but only through an understanding of the negative consequences coming with pets can we address these problems and work for a more sustainable system of pet ownership.
The pet food industry is one of the biggest contributors to CO2 emissions and deforestation. According to Gregory Okin, professor of geography at UCLA, meat-eating by cats and dogs contribute roughly “64 million tons of carbon dioxide a year, which has about the same climate impact as a year’s worth of driving from 13.6 million cars.”
Perhaps even more surprising is that dogs and cats account for roughly 30-50% of meat consumption in the United States. In fact, our pet felines and canines consume so much meat that, if they were considered as a separate “pet country”, they would rank fifth in food-based emissions.
With all of that food going in, it must come out. Cats and dogs produce over 5 million tons of feces every year. Much of the waste from dogs are not cleaned up by their owners, which could contaminate water sources and harm the soil. Cat litter is also not biodegradable, and often mined unsustainably. Mistreatment of pet waste, such as flushing litter down the toilet, can also cause the spread of parasites and unwanted microorganisms, endangering societal health.
Thankfully, there are tangible ways to limit one’s carbon footprint and reduce the environmental impact of our loyal companions.
Regarding waste, picking up after your dog using compostable plastic bags is one of the most effective and easiest ways to reduce your carbon footprint. As for cats, owners can opt for “green” litter such as ones made out of recycled paper or grass seed. Pet owners should also always be sure to dispose of their pet’s wastes properly.
We can also adopt more sustainable sources of food for our pets. For example, alternate protein sources can help reduce your pet’s carbon pawprint. These include crickets and insect made treats (they are not as bad as they sound), or even plant based options.
Homemade diets from leftover meat scraps can also help reduce food waste as well as plastic packaging — hitting two birds with one stone!
Furthermore, many pet food companies have also turned their attention to making food out of sustainable seafood. Since fish have a lower carbon footprint than red meat animals like lamb and beef, adoption of a more pescatarian diet could help to reduce the environmental damage caused by your pet.
Lastly, for prospective pet-owners, adopting a pet is always a more environmentally friendly option than buying. This helps tackle overpopulation, and also reduces the overcrowding of animal shelters to allow for a more reliable supply of resources and food for the animals under their care.
Roughly 6 million pets end up in shelters each year, 90% of which are euthanized each year. Adopting an animal could help save a life and reduce environmental strain, one animal at a time.
This is a complex matter, as the companionship that our pets offer is immeasurable and they are often loved as part of the family. However, just as we can change our personal behavior for a better environment, we can, and perhaps should, do the same for our pets. Only by doing this can we reduce our environmental footprint to the fullest possible extent.
