Cat and dog food is really bad for the environment
Does your dog get delicious fresh meat, with a beaten egg mixed in? And does your feline friend prefer fish soup or pâté from a tub? Adorable, but also very bad for the environment. ‘Feeding a dog for a year has the same environmental impact as driving 3,677 kilometers, while for a cat it is equivalent to a 1,413-kilometer drive,’ writes NRC.
Pets have a substantial ecological footprint—er, pawprint. This is not only due to all the things and bits and pieces we buy for our pets, such as beds, toys, cat litter and sometimes even clothing, but especially their food. Many people think pet food is made from slaughterhouse by-products, but that is not true: many of the ingredients that end up in kibble or cans are also suitable for human consumption.
Chicken feet
At least, if you like pig ears and chicken feet. ‘The fact that we turn up our noses at them is another matter,’ says researcher Theun Vellinga of Wageningen Livestock Research, part of Wageningen University & Research. ‘Pets compete with humans in the food system.’ And there are quite a lot of cats and dogs: an estimate shows that in the Netherlands we have 3.1 million cats and 1.9 million dogs, and during the coronavirus pandemic, a few more animals probably joined them.
Overweight animals
Want to live in an environmentally friendly way? Then you will also need to be stricter with your dog or cat. Feeding them less is a start, says the scientist. Many pets eat far too much: 35 percent of pets are overweight, according to the National Information Centre for Companion Animals (LICG). Vellinga recommends choosing kibble over wet food: ‘Wet food contains more and fresher meat and spoils faster. Kibble is less harmful to the environment and has a longer shelf life.’ Looking for a new basket or dog bed? Shop second-hand. And use wood chips or wheat-stem granules in the litter box, because they are made from renewable materials and have a low climate impact.
Good for your mood
To be clear: the scientist does not think we should get rid of all our pets. ‘If we want pets, then we should have them,’ he says. ‘We can simply consider whether one dog or cat is enough before bringing two, or three, or four into our homes. And whether they need to weigh 15 or 50 kilos. But if we feel they are worth it, because of their effect on our mood and health, then of course we should keep pets.’
Read also:
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- These cats are actually in charge at the supermarket
Source: NRC
