The Greening of the Animals
by Arlene Wege

"Global Warming," "Going Green," "BioDynamic Farming"... not that long ago, these were catchphrases that sometimes maybe could be incorporated into our daily lives. If we thought about it. If we had time. Now, they are no longer catchphrases, they are global warnings. So how can we apply our rapidly changing way of life to the way we treat our pets?

Our dog, Jake, was recently diagnosed as having suffered a stroke. Overnight this smart, lively, loving member of our family became close to deaf, was unable to manage the stairs unaided or hold his head upright—all of which gave him a sadly quizzical expression. Of course, we immediately sought advice. Luckily, a few weeks later Jake showed promising signs of improvement.

Was Jake's illness possibly a result of food poisoning? A year ago in March most of this nation's 60 million pet-owning households learned that some of the pet food they were spending so much money for—over $40 billion per year—was tainted. By the end of 2007, the sales of organic pet food reached over $1 billion, well exceeding the 2006 amount of $669 million. My family now has the ultimate motivation to make sure Jake will be cared for organically.

Besides healing supplements to his diet, our veterinarian provided us with a list of recommended meals we could easily prepare from scratch. We learned of a butcher in Pine Plains, Josef Meiller Slaughterhouse, where bones and freshly ground meat, expressly prepared for dog consumption, can be purchased in bulk. I purchased a bag at a price per pound that was a fraction of any grocery store meat. I divided the meat into one-meal portions, wrapped each one flat in foil, and froze them. Now I cook them each morning in the toaster oven. The meat and the portion of vegetables recommended by the vet, simmered briefly in a warm broth and mixed with some organic dry food, become Jake's Special Stew. For an organic tick deterrent, I add a teaspoon of brewer's yeast and a little garlic. Your own vet knows your pet well enough to make specific dietary recommendations.

Cats that are used to spending time outdoors provide a challenge: you cannot control the cat's entire diet and have to look at the occasional rodent snack as a balance of nature. So it is even more important that the cat's diet you can control is as healthy as possible. Cat food containing 34 to 38 percent protein and 19 to 22 percent fat provides a healthy balance. Dry food helps prevent dental tartar; if making homemade cat food, include such items as wild salmon oil, vitamins E and B complex, kelp (seaweed), and pysllium powder (derived from the seeds of the Plantago plant).

Providing a better diet for the household pet may be one of the easier changes to help the planet. What about the cleaning products, the toys, the "accessories," the waste? Especially the waste. Environmentally-friendly pet toys, pet beds, pet cleaners, health supplements, travel items, even poop bags are now readily available and easy to find via magazines, catalogues, and the internet. The plethora of choices is encouraging, since more and more pet owners seem willing to invest in them, as well as the imagination used in providing these products (use of hemp, soy, corn, solar panels for pet boarding facilities).

It is not surprising that the disposal of pet waste is as much of a challenge as that of people waste, possibly more so, since both were so long taken for granted. The attitude that evolved toward pet waste seemed to be that it just disappears, but the truth is that we don't want to look at it. In fact, our state bureaus of waste management are confronting a huge problem in the form of eight billion pounds of non-biodegradable waste that contaminate landfills across the nation.

For those responsible citizens who are looking to a human toilet-type solution to cat waste, welcome to The CatGenie™, an unusual product introduced only two years ago that took nine years to develop. This innovative cat litter disposal appliance, when hooked up to a cold water line, uses dust-free, litter-like granules that never need changing to drain liquids, scoop out and liquefy solids, and remove all waste safely out of the home.

There are less technical solutions as well, of course: biodegradable flushable (wheat-based) or non-flushable, earth-friendly litters (pine nugget, or from recycled newspapers), for one. These are certainly preferable to clay litter products, which are a byproduct of strip mining.

Dog waste removal is not only a requirement of responsible pet ownership but in many cities it is the law. According to a 2005 Department of Agriculture study, composting was recommended as an earth-friendly solution to the problem of dog waste. Green innovators are now producing biodegradable bags out of cornstarch that offer new disposal options. Dog owners may now put the waste and the bag on a backyard compost pile, where both items will decompose naturally, or they can be buried, in which case they will be eaten by microorganisms. Pet waste pickup service companies are also a growing business, some even providing specially designed receptacles prominently installed in communities and as easy to find as mailboxes.

Eco-friendly grooming products are abundant on the market and important to any pet's health. Avoid products that contain phosphates or sulfates, and if you use the a grooming service, ask about the products they use. While pets love their toys, like children, it is not unusual for them to be quite satisfied with homemade versions.

Residents of the Hudson Valley can reap the benefits of a vast number of services available for their pets' needs. In the Rhinebeck/Red Hook area, a large store on Route 9 north of the Dutchess County Fairgrounds, Pet Country, carries a wide variety of "green" pet products, while Pawprints and Whiskers, located on Wall Street in Kingston, is a small establishment, but the proprietor is passionate about organic treatment of dogs and cats and very helpful in educating pet owners about their animals' wellbeing. A new store just opening in the Chocolate Factory in Red Hook, Hooked on Dogs, offers a complete line of natural foods. The information and the tools we need are out there and well within reach to keep our furry, finny, and feathery friends both healthy and green.