CARBON PAWPRINTS

We have a guest blogger today, Xoe (pronounced Zoey) who wanted to bring up the subject of the impact that our four-legged friends have on the environment.

Xoe is a two-year old rat terrior/miniature pincher/chihuahua mix and enjoys spending time with her owner (me) and playing with her brother.

Every year more than 10 million tons of pet "do-do" is sent to landfills, where it takes decades to decompose. Really? I had no idea, Xoe! Consider flushing dog doodie instead using flush-able bags (www.flushdoggy.com) or use degradable bags like BioBag when throwing it in the trash.

According to Xoe, there is a great earth-friendly, people and pet safe way to dispose of 'kitty roca' also. Xoe knows how difficult it is to stay away from the kitty box but with The World's Best Cat Litter - the fear of accidentally (of course - it's always an "ACCIDENT") eating anything harmful.

The World's Best Cat Litter website has several videos and information about their product which is made from corn. It's completely flush-able and septic safe.

For most people a pet is a part of the family, and you want to give us the very best of everything. I know my owner does for me! Be a great "green" pet owner by making smart decisions that will have a positive impact on the environment and your pet.

I'm going to give you a five (5) ideas or suggestions and I won't make you 'beg' for the information, either. I may ask you to "shake" on it afterwords - no, not really - besides, then I'd have to offer you a 'treat' and well, frankly - they are all gone - I ate 'em all while writing this blog entry. Our secret tho', ok? I kinda blamed it on my brother when my owner found the box empty.

1. As we discussed above, Pick Up The Poo! Part of being a green pet owner involves the ever so enjoyable task of disposing of our waste. Be sure to provide my feline friends with a litter box and litter that is not made of clay, which is strip mined harmfully from the earth. I know we covered this above, but most litter also includes chemicals which are harmful to pets. Ok, now you need to consider the following...

2. Compost the Poo! I know, I sound like a broken record, but most of your pets waste ends up in plastic bags in landfills. If you're going to do this, you might as well erect a 'poo-fectly' permanent statue to commemorate our existence! Be sure not to use the compost in your vegetable garden. Germs like E. Coli can be passed on to your food.

3. Buy Quality, Organic Food. Alot of the ingredients found in cheap pet food come from diseased beef which would not be fit human consumption. Dog is man's best friend, right? Good food comes from organic sources and doesn't include soy, wheat, corn, or animal by-products.

4. Buy Eco-Friendly Pet Products. Avoid with all your might animal toys made in China. These plastics are cheap and contain chemicals. Instead look for toys made with from hemp or organic products like cotton. Remember, rawhide is very hard on most digestive tracks and most veterinarians will tell you they don't recommend it. Instead go for "bully sticks" or 'real bones' from the supermarket which are completely digestible.

5. Use Natural Cleaning Products. I hate baths! My owner uses plant based shampoo on me that she gets at the pet store. Tea tree oil stinks, but it keeps the fleas off me. Ok, can you keep a secret? Accidents (not the ones I talked about earlier) happen. My mom uses vinegar and soda with water to clean it up. No chemical smell or residue and the stain will come right up! My owner said to mention that vinegar and baking soda cost a lot less money also...whatever that is?

Well, I've had fun sharing with you how you can be a "green owner". I'd love to hear any feedback you may have and read about your 'green" pet owner ideas.