Cats: Go Green With Your Cat

Go Green With Your Cat
The Daily Cat

We often hear about the need to reduce our human footprint on the global ecosystem, but you are right to be concerned about your cat's environmental paw print too. As owners, we control this paw print with the products we buy and the actions we take. Many pet stores are at last acknowledging the green movement. Here are some products you might watch out for:

Biodegradable Cat Litter

Many new cat litters look like conventional products and they clump in the same way, but they are flushable and biodegradable. Manufacturers often use natural materials, such as wheat and corn, to create such litters. Wheat, corn and related materials come from renewable resources. They are also safer for your cat, since cats sometimes lick off excess litter and may breathe in litter dust.

Eco-conscious Toys

Look for toys made out of recycled plastics, fabrics or other repurposed goods. Safe, natural vegetable dyes and other nontoxic materials are also important to watch out for.

Sisal and Sea Grass Scratchers

Did you know that sisal comes from an agave plant? Agave sisalana yields stiff, tough fibers that are used to make everything from agricultural twines to kitty scratching posts. It's a renewable, fast-growing material, like sea grass. Both of these products are therefore ideal for scratching posts, cat toys and other pet products.

Zeolite Cat Litter Deodorizer

Traditional cat litter deodorizers used to be made out of questionable chemicals, but some natural products contain zeolite. This is a natural microporous material that serves as an adsorbent. Zeolite can form in nature when volcanic rocks and ash react with alkaline groundwater.

Natural Cat Foods

From a legal standpoint, foods labeled as "natural" must not contain any artificial ingredients, coloring agents or chemical preservatives. Meat and poultry must be minimally processed. Look for the word "natural" on your cat's food labels.

As you can see from the above, green products are not only good for the environment, but also better for you and your cat. It's a triple-win trend that must, and hopefully will, continue to grow in future.