What's my pet's carbon paw print?

What kinds of pet supplies do I use?

All pets require food and water, and many also need other accessories, such as bedding, collars, leashes and toys -- but how much attention are you paying to the items you're purchasing and what they're made from? The choices you make before you reach the checkout line can all affect the size of your pet's carbon paw print.

When it comes to pet food, there are a number of brands on the market in which the primary ingredients are by-products and chemical preservatives, both of which can have a negative impact on the environment (and your pet's health) because of the way they're manufactured. Foods made from organic vegetable and protein sources are much more eco-friendly, because organic agriculture centers on materials and procedures that enhance the ecological balance, as opposed to polluting, disturbing or destroying it. In addition to the food itself, pay attention to how much and what kind of packaging a pet food company uses -- buying brands that incorporate non-recyclable packaging can add to a carbon paw print as well.

As for other supplies -- many pet toys are made from plastic, and because they're not regulated very strictly, some may also contain potentially harmful toxins, such as lead. If you seek out playthings made from recycled goods, and also apply this approach to other accessories such as bedding, chances are you're helping to shrink your pet's carbon paw print to some degree. Today, there are a number of options on the market made from things such as recycled bottles or sustainable fabrics. Eco-friendly collars and leashes made from bamboo are now becoming more readily available as well.

How do I handle pet waste?

Most people take their dogs outdoors to do their business, and the green rule of thumb when doing so is to always pick up after them. Feces left out and about can not only serve as a source for transmitting disease to other animals that come into contact with it, it can also get washed away into nearby water sources and lead to further pollution. People who always pick up after their pooches -- and use eco-friendly tools, such as biodegradable bags, to do so -- are doing their part to shrink pets' carbon paw prints.

With kitty litter, on the other hand, there's no perfect option, since all litter gets dumped into the garbage at one point or another. But some types of litter are greener than others. Clay-based litters take up more space when discarded and are often dusted with silica, a carcinogen that can trigger respiratory issues. Using litter made from recycled materials such as sawmill scrap or newspaper clippings is much easier on the environment.

As for other disposal methods -- it's safe to flush dog waste down the toilet, but cat feces is a different story: It contains parasites such as toxoplasma gondii, which can withstand the sewage treatment process, slip into streams and water sources, and ultimately kill sea life.

Clearly, the size of your pets' carbon paw print has a great deal to do with the type of animals you have. However, reducing that paw print depends more on the choices you make on their behalf. Keeping in mind the topics discussed here should help you to make greener choices for the health of the planet -- and your pet.