2009.04.22
Have a pet-friendly Earth Day
Today is Earth Day, an occasion when we should honor the planet on which we live.
Stormy says adoption is the ultimate way to recycle.
While I do not want to start any political arguments here, I proudly adhere to the policy of reduce, recycle and reuse. Less waste not only preserves the environment, but it saves money and energy and I know most of us are in favor of both of those things.
My homestead, also known as Chez Nelson Resort and Spa for Pampered Pets, is a sanctuary for recycled pets. All five of the critters who are a part of my family are adopted from the streets, a rescue group or a shelter. Adopting a pet is the ultimate in recycling, and making sure all pets are spayed and neutered helps reduce the need for rescue.
Here are a few other things we do to be green in our pet care:
With three pooches with big appetites, we buy huge bags of dog food. Instead of just tossing them in the trash, we reuse them as garbage bags. They hold a lot and are very sturdy.
I tote my own reusable bags to the grocery store, but I still use the plastic bags in the produce section for my fruits and veggies. Those produce bags make ideal poop receptacles; just save them for when you take your dog out for a walk.
The cats get into the green movement by turning their kitty noses up to store-bought cat toys. They prefer laundry baskets for hiding and the ring off the top of the milk jugs for batting.
What do you do to reduce, recycle and reuse in your daily pet care?
"Nelson Resort and Spa for Pampered Pets"
Sounds like I should be getting a lot of rent from these pets. MMM, I don't remember getting any!
Comment by Phil Nelson — April 22, 2009 @ 2:47 pm
The only "green" thing I do other than what you listed is that I use a washable sheet on the dog beds. She has one bed in the garage and one bed in the house that get smelly and dirty in a short period of time. It doesn't take but one or two washes of the bed cover before it is falling apart so I had my Mom make a "doggie duvet" cover for her beds. Now instead of having to wash the whole bed, I just change the sheet. It keeps me from having to buy new beds every couple of months.
Comment by Kim — April 22, 2009 @ 3:43 pm
Our cats are green, too. The 20$ toy sits unused in the corner while they chase balled-up Arbys wrappers and a shoestring tied to a stick. Go figure.
Comment by Art Hill — April 23, 2009 @ 1:16 am
A good way to recycle pastic bags from the grocery store is to use them when cleaning out the kitties litter box.
Comment by Eric — April 24, 2009 @ 8:46 am
I also recyle the plastic bags from the grocery store by using them for cleaning out the kitty litter boxes and also for cleaning up the dog poo in my back yard. They really come in handy. When I take Holly for a walk, I always take a bunch of those plastic bags with me to clean up after her.
Comment by Deborah — April 24, 2009 @ 12:22 pm
We also use the bags for cat litter...but we check them for holes first! Most of the time, they have too many to be useful, so we just recycle them. But our cats love simple toys like bottle caps, plastic pull tabs off milk jugs, wads of scrap paper, and ripped shoestrings. They reuse plenty of our waste in that fashion. They also love old pill bottles with a few small pebbles tossed in for the rattle effect...they go nuts for that.
Comment by Other John — April 24, 2009 @ 2:47 pm
So very true about the holes in the grocery store bags!! I usually end up going through about 5 of them before I can find one without holes. My cats also love to play with bottle caps, rubber bands, scrap paper and basically anything they can swat off of the tables. I used to buy them toys but no....they aren't interested in them...just give them a bottle cap or something like that...they are happy!!!
Comment by Deborah — April 25, 2009 @ 10:21 pm