Is your cat or dog’s dinner polluting the environment as much as driving a car?

The whole “pets are family members” idea is not just a sweet sentiment. Data shows that pet owners are increasingly buying food that resembles their own diets. The trend towards refrigerated, “fresh” or even “human-grade” pet food can come with a price beyond the pet food budget. One of the most climate-intensive decisions we make is whether to own a pet. It is for the same reason that humans have a big impact: they eat every day. And most of them eat meat. The environmental impact of meat includes the land the animal lived on, the food it ate, the waste it generated and other factors. “What else do pets do? We have to feed them. I think that that’s why it’s number one,” said Allison Reser, director of sustainability and innovation at the Pet Sustainability Coalition. But just like people, a pet’s environmental impact can vary greatly depending on its diet. The marketing of higher-quality pet food suggests that it is healthier. But there is not much evidence to suggest refrigerated, fresh or human-grade food leads to better pet health outcomes, according to Alison Manchester, assistant clinical sciences professor at Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, in the United States. “I think a lot of it is playing on marketing and treating pets as members of the family,” Manchester said. She said traditional kibble and wet food can also provide a perfectly balanced pet diet, and they often make use of animal parts that are not palatable to humans and otherwise might have been wasted. Billy Nicholles, pet food researcher with Bryant Research, said the trend of using human-grade meat in pet food increases its climate impact because pets are not just eating animal parts that would have otherwise gone unused. “We definitely can’t dismiss these impacts altogether by just saying these are the offcuts, these are environmentally negligible,” he said. In the US, feeding dogs and cats accounts for more than a quarter of the environmental impact from meat consumption. The pollution created from the meat that dogs and cats consume in the US is equivalent to the pollution created from driving 13.6 million cars for a year, according to a University of California, Los Angeles study. One common and easily solved problem is giving less food to overweight pets. “Not only does [overfeeding] mean that the dog’s going to have a poorer quality of health,” Nicholles said. “It also means that we’re increasing those environmental impacts as well.” The American Kennel Club said diet makes up most of a dog’s weight problem, so fixing it relies mostly on making sure it is eating the right number of calories, treats included. Protein should make up roughly 18 per cent of an adult dog’s diet and roughly 26 per cent of an adult cat’s diet, according to the Association of American Feed Control Officials. Manchester said dogs can be healthy on a vegan diet. “Dogs can get plenty of protein and the right balance of protein without actually ingesting any meat,” she said. Cats rely more on animal products. Manchester said she does not know of a balanced, commercially available vegan cat food. That means minimising their impact comes from choosing less polluting meat options when possible. Beef is the most polluting protein. Chicken and fish are lower impact, and plant-based options pollute the least. Manchester also recommends buying pet food instead of making it at home or feeding pets table scraps. She said that there is “a lot of room for error” with balancing the nutrients in home-made pet food that can lead to nutrient deficiencies, bone or heart problems and other health issues. For those looking to avoid human-grade dog food, Reser said to check the label and avoid ingredients that sound appetising to humans, such as high-quality chicken breast meat. Ingredients such as organ meats or crickets indicate that the protein is coming from by-products or more sustainable sources. These steps can be done when shopping at grocery stores or large pet supply stores. But for those who want to go further, some of the most sustainable brands might cost more or require more research because they are not available in physical stores or on major websites. Some may require a vet’s prescription. The brands that focus on sustainability might have labels showing they are climate-neutral certified, regenerative organic certified or certified B Corp. Diet is not the only factor to consider. The type of pet, its breed and where it came from all affect its impact. For example, buying a dog from a breeder creates demand for that breeder to make more dogs. Nicholles said a dog in a shelter already has a “priced-in” carbon impact. “If there are dogs in the world that already exist that need homes, that seems to be a more responsible decision for the planet than going through a breeder,” Reser said. Nicholles said, generally, the smaller the pet, the smaller the carbon footprint. For some pets, size just does not change much. Most cat breeds fall into a narrow size range. But dogs can vary greatly in size, and thus, climate impact. Smaller dogs not only eat less but also create less waste, and use crates and other accessories that require less material to make. “It matters a lot, for the slightly obvious reason that a larger dog is going to be eating many, many more calories,” Nicholles said. Reser said accessories that come from regenerative, durable or recyclable materials can often have a lower impact and need less frequent replacement. Or, for a cat like Reser’s that gets bored with toys quickly, try a completely different tactic. “I make her toys out of trash, honestly,” she said. “Like a piece of newspaper or a receipt, she loves.”

Is your cat or dog’s dinner polluting the environment as much as driving a car?

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Your pet’s diet harms the planet more than you think – but there are ways to minimise carbon footprint while keeping your cat or dog full

Your pet’s diet harms the planet more than you think – but there are ways to minimise carbon footprint while keeping your cat or dog full