In many homes the family dog or cat occupies a special place in our hearts. We cry when they die (and we all secretly think puppies and kittens are cuter than babies). But have you ever stopped to wonder if our modern day pet obsession is “eco-friend or foe”? In this episode Waveney and Tim ask ‘what is the environmental pawprint of our pets?’ and explore what it takes to be a sustainable pet owner. They talk about the best food options; eco-friendly flea treatment; how to deal with toilet waste onsite; and the pitfalls of those incredibly cute dog onesies and all the other crazy consumption we do on their behalf - before finishing with a shout out to the very best of the natural vegetarian pets… guess what pet Tim has always secretly wanted but never had?  

Plus check out the How to Save the World blog with a special guest writer Alex who shares her ‘cat litter saga’ with us - well worth the read for any pet owners with litter boxes. 

Studies and resources mentioned in this episode

General: 

• 2017 US study finding cats and dogs responsible for 25-30% of the environmental impact of all meat consumption in the US 
• Esther Woolfson, “Between Light and Storm” a study of our history of pets & Guardian Longread excerpt 

Food:

•  Home made dog food recipe
• The Raw Dog Food Company
• Jimbo’s: minimally processed fresh meat pet food. Available in supermarkets.
• Home made dog treats from Lauren Singer, Trash is for Tossers: organic whole wheat flour, peanut butter, chicken stock
• Coming soon - In Zect Direct dog treats (cricket protein and spent grain from beer making)
• Green Elephant online store - dog treat range, (packaging… carbon foot print)

Toileting

• Enso Pet compost system from Zing Bokashi:
• DIY subterranean composting with worms
• Rubbish Free
• Compost Collective

Fleas:

• Recent UK study ‘waterways to be routinely and chronically contaminated with the active ingredients from cat and dog flea treatments’. Avoid Fipronil and Imidacloprid.
• How...

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