PET CARE
PETS, HUH
I was shocked to discover that loads of the plastic we used was down to the two furry animals that live with us.
Happy to say we now have plastic-free, if slightly costly, cats.
wet food
We’d got into the habit of always buying those single serving pouches. I’d fallen for the no mess, no fuss thing. But, BUT those pesky pouches are not recyclable. And with two hungry cats, we were getting through a lot.
The solution is, of course, to do what we did in the world pre-pouch. TINS.
Your pet’s tastes will likely dictate what you end up buying. But there are lots to chose from. From big cans to small fancy one’s. Look out for Thrive, Purina Gourmet, Lily’s Kitchen, Encore, and supermarkets own-brand.
For bonus points, track down Yarrah, who score highest overall in Ethical Consumer’s rating for pet foods.
dry food
A plastic free option will come down to what/how your fury friend eats and what you’re happy to spend.
There are easy-to-find cat/dog biscuits in boxes, but if you want a ‘complete’ dry food, the only one I have found is Lily’s Kitchen.
Our cats love it, it’s ticks all the ethical boxes and the packaging is home compostable.
But the price is eye-wateringly expensive! As in, more than twice the price per 100g than anything else. We’re saving money on other things, so for us, it balances out. But, ouch.
toys
Clearly this is a low-priority item. Unless I’m depriving my cats of a world of fun other kitties get, then it’s a once a year ‘Christmas present’ (I know, I know) purchase at best. I imagine it might be more of a thing for dogs though.
But next time you’re in the market for such things, Beco Pets is where you should go. There are cute catnip stuffed fish, birds and mice, made from recycled plastic bottles. And natural rubber balls and hemp rope strings for pooches. Oh, and biodegradable bamboo food bowls, poop bag holders and bags.
POTTY TALK
First up, I never thought I’d be posting something on the internet about cats and dogs’ toilet habits.
But, secondly, I’d never really considered what happens to their mess. Standard litter is headed straight for landfill.
After a few failed attempts at finding something a, compostable b, flushable, c, non-stinky, d, long lasting and e, accepted by our cats, we’ve found this stuff - Cat’s Best - to be brilliant, which we use it with a biodegradable bamboo scoop. The litter box in the picture is compostable, but it’s only really useful if you’re travelling (it’s tiny). Beco Pets make a proper sized one made out of recycled bamboo!
Dog-people, three words: biodegradable poop bags.
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