Living Green: The Missing Manual

Pets

Ask anyone who has them—pets are part of the family. And they can go green, too. Pets rely on you to take care of them, so make sure you do that in a way that protects their health and treads lightly on the earth. Here are some suggestions for earth-loving pet owners:

• Spay or neuter your pet. According to the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), between six and eight million cats and dogs go into American animal shelters each year. About half of those get adopted, but the other half—three to four million animals—are euthanized. Clearly, pet overpopulation is a problem, one that's unfair to the animals because there aren't enough homes to go around. HSUS estimates that a healthy, fertile cat can give birth to three litters (of four to six kittens each) per year and a dog can give have up to two litters (of six to 10 puppies each) every year. So help minimize pet overpopulation by getting yours spayed or neutered.

  Tip

  Spaying or neutering your pet gets rid of the possibility of uterine, ovarian, and testicular cancer, and may also reduce the risk of illnesses like prostate disease.

• Choose healthy pet food. Just like people, pets need nutritious food for good health. But many commercial options are packed with preservatives, fillers, and low-quality ingredients like meat that isn't fit for human consumption. When you buy Fido's food, read labels and watch out for these ingredients:

  • Animal byproducts. This means that the food's protein comes from meat products that are unfit ...