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What Do You Know About Eco-Friendly Cat Options? Take Our Earth Day Quiz!

How big is your cat's carbon pawprint? This earth day, we challenge you to a pop quiz!

Holly Tse  |  Apr 22nd 2013

To celebrate Earth Day, we’re throwing down the gauntlet and challenging you to test your eco-friendly cat savviness. Take our quiz to test your knowledge about all things green for cats. Consider this a five-minute contribution to the planet, because as you take the quiz, you’ll learn what you can do to green your cat’s lifestyle.

Please answer each question true or false. No peeking at the answers!

1. Earth-friendly cat litters cost more than regular litters


When earth-friendly litters first came out, there weren’t many options available, and they were often priced higher than regular cat litter. However, as natural cat litters became more popular, prices have gone down and many brands cost about the same as the non-earth-friendly litters.

Also, did you know that there are many inexpensive substitutes for green cat litters? Check out your local feed supply store for low-priced litter alternatives that are made from sustainable and renewable resources. Here are more ways to save money on cat litter.

2. Biodegradable litter-pan liners are good for the environment


Although a litter pan liner might be labeled as biodegradable, it can still contribute to landfill. Many biodegradable plastics require exposure to oxygen and sunlight in order to break down, which they don’t get when they’re buried under a ton of trash. Pan liners also require energy and resources to make and ship them. For a green alternative, simply scoop. And, when you need to, use an eco-friendly mild detergent to clean the box.

3. It’s easy to find inexpensive cat toys that are also eco-friendly


While you certainly can spend a lot of money keeping your cat entertained, often the best cat toys are the ones you get for free. Take a paper bag, for example. You can open it up for a game of hide and seek, or you can rip off a piece and crumple it into a ball for a fun game of catch.

Here are more tips on how to create your own green cat toys as well as four cat toys you can make from a toilet paper roll.

4. If your cat only eats one brand of cat food and you can’t switch foods, there’s nothing you can do to make her diet more eco-friendly.


Even if you can’t change cat food brands, there are many things you can do to green your cat’s diet. You can start by choosing cat food flavors that require fewer resources to produce. For example, it takes more resources in terms of land and water to produce one pound of beef as compared to a pound of chicken. Small fish like sardines are considered more ecologically sustainable than large species such as tuna.

You can also take action by calling the company that makes your cat’s food and asking them what they’re doing to be eco-friendly. You’ll be letting them know that being green is important to their customers and thus, their bottom line. For more information on what to say or ask, visit my Green Little Cat blog.

5. As long as a cleaning product says it’s made from natural ingredients, it’s safe for your cat


Even though a household cleaner may be eco-friendly because it’s made from natural ingredients, it may contain essential oils. Many of the essential oils commonly found in green cleaning products, such as tea tree, citrus, and lavender, are considered toxic for cats.

While many of these cleaning products contain very low concentrations of essential oils, be sure to read the labels to be on the safe side. Read more details on how to clean your cat house the earth-friendly way.

6. Small changes can add up to make a huge difference


According to a 2012 survey by the American Veterinary Medical Association, more than 36 million households in America own cats. That’s a lot of cats, which can add up to a huge difference if everyone makes a small change. For example, if you use one less scoop of cat litter each week, it could add up to 10 pounds a year. Now, if you multiply that by 36 million, that’s 180,000 tons of cat litter collectively diverted from landfills each year. If that’s not enough to get you excited, here are more reasons it’s great to green your kitty’s lifestyle.

Make a pledge this Earth Day to make a difference by greening your cat. To help you get started, here’s our starter guide on how to reduce your cat’s carbon footprint.

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