Ways to Be an Eco-Friendly Cat Owner

Owning a cat can be incredibly rewarding and life-enriching. Cats are the second most popular pet in the UK with 12.2 million cats living in UK households alone in 2021. Cat ownership can be beneficial to your mental health, with 87% of cat owners believing their cat had a positive impact on their well-being and 76% feeling they coped with everyday life much better due to the presence of their cats. But pet ownership can also have a negative impact on the planet, and it’s estimated that an average-size cat generates 310kg of CO2e per year. Reducing that figure is a key concern for many cat owners who don’t want to get rid of their furry companion, but who don’t want to damage the planet either. So how can you own a cat and reduce this environmental impact? How can you be an eco-friendly cat owner? Here’s everything you need to know:

If you don’t already own a cat, then consider adopting a cat or kitten rather than buying one from a breeder. Britain is in the grips of a cat overpopulation crisis, and there is an abundance of cats in rescues and shelters waiting for new homes. You’re just as likely to find a kitten as you are to find an adult cat in a shelter, so you will still have plenty of choice for the right cat to suit you and your family.
Rescue cats are often neutered before you can take them home, saving you the expense and the inconvenience of doing this for yourself, and you are giving a fresh start and a loving home to an animal that might not otherwise have one, whilst also reducing the environmental impact of cat ownership. It really is a win-win situation!

Not all cats hunt, but many do. If you know or suspect that your cat is a hunter, then take steps to limit its ability to do so. You can do this by keeping your cat indoors during the time that the animals they hunt are most active: in the case of birds and small rodents, this means keeping them inside during the evenings and early mornings. If your cat is still managing to hunt and kill their prey (you will know this because cats often bring their kills home to show to their humans!) then you may wish to consider fitting them with a small bell, to act as a warning to other animals that your cat is nearby.
It is estimated that, in the UK alone, cats kill around 200 million wild animals. This has a negative impact on local environments and disturbs the balance of environmental infrastructures: taking steps to prevent your cat from hunting wild prey will have a hugely positive effect on its environmental impact.

Disposing of cat waste might not be a glamorous topic but it is an important one, particularly if you want to be an eco-friendly pet owner. Picking up your cat waste and litter and disposing of them in a plastic bag will contribute to plastic and microplastic contamination in our soil and waterways. 13 billion plastic bags are used in the UK every year: don’t let your cat ownership increase that figure! Instead, look to organic cat litter waste bags that do not harm the planet because they are 100% plastic free and compostable. You could also consider using a cat litter tray liner instead of cat litter waste bags: these protect the litter tray and remove the litter and the waste at the same time, making it easier than ever to keep your litter tray clean. What’s more, cat litter tray liners are organic and compostable, so they don’t cause any harm to the planet.
On the subject of cat litter, when choosing cat litter, you should also look for brands that use recycled materials or look to our clumping cat litter which is made of corn: a sustainable, replenishable material that will help to reduce the carbon footprint of cat ownership. Disposing of your cat’s waste has the potential to contribute significantly to their carbon footprint, but it is possible to buy eco-friendly products that will make waste disposal a guilt-free process.

Whilst buying organic cat litter waste bags and clumping cat litter might help you deal with what comes out of your cat, it’s important to think about what you put into your cat in an eco-friendly way too. It is possible to find sustainable cat food which will help to minimise the carbon footprint of your cat’s diet. Cat food can be considered ethical if the ingredients are sustainably farmed and produced without abusing the workers or natural resources, but because cats are carnivorous, it is impossible to feed your cat in a way that doesn’t involve the meat industry.
Some pet owners choose to buy pet food that uses only choice cuts of meat or fish in their recipes. And whilst these are great for your pet, they are less beneficial to the environment. For a more eco-friendly approach, look for pet food manufacturers that create their dishes using the off-cuts or offal which were a by-product of the meat industry. These cuts of meat are still a great source of protein and will provide a nutritious and delicious meal for your pets.
You might also wish to consider completely eliminating fish from your cat’s diet. The world’s fish supplies are at risk because we are over-harvesting them, and up to 10% of the fish that is removed from the ocean is used in pet food, meaning that cats are only adding to the fish supply issues we are experiencing.

No one wants a bored cat, and the colourful array of cat toys available in your local pet shop to keep your cat entertained can be very enticing. However, unfortunately, many of these toys are made of plastic or non-recyclable materials and are therefore not a good option for eco-friendly pet owners. The good news is that it is possible to create wonderful and engaging toys for your cat using common items that you’re likely to already have lying around the house. Old cardboard boxes and toilet roll tubes can be turned into castles and puzzle feeders, and if you have a kitten that likes to chew, then toilet roll tubes make great chew toys too. You can even put an old cushion inside a sturdy cardboard box to make a bed for your pet without buying any new resources, meaning that it is completely carbon footprint-free!
If you’re creative and enjoy a little crafting or DIY then the possibilities of things you can make for your cat are endless. Recycling the fabric from old clothing and bedding to make cat toys filled with catnip or even cat teaser wands that you and your cat can play with together. You’ll soon find that you have everything your cat needs in your home already.

Finally, if you don’t like the idea of creating a cat tree from cardboard boxes (or simply don’t want a pile of cardboard sitting in your living room) then that doesn’t mean you have to head to the shops to buy supplies or equipment for your cat. Instead, look for the items you need second-hand: You can often find bigger pieces like cat scratchers or cat beds on local selling sites, or in charity shops. Buying second-hand can help prevent waste and reduce carbon emissions, and also provides the opportunity to grab a bargain. If you can’t find what you’re looking for in a second-hand selling site or second-hand store, ask around your community, as these are items people are often keen to sell and remove from their homes, particularly if they have lost their own cat. You may be able to share some accessories that you won’t use very often, like cat carriers, with a friend or neighbour, or borrow these when you need to take your cat to the vet.

It is possible to be an eco-friendly cat owner and to enjoy all the benefits of cat ownership without having a negative impact on the planet. The most important things you can do to be an eco-friendly cat owner include choosing 100% plastic-free and compostable cat poop bags and cat litter tray liners, and opting for the most sustainable food choices for your cat. Simply by considering the best ways to be an eco-friendly pet owner, you are already demonstrating your commitment to doing the right thing for the planet and limiting your carbon footprint, no matter what lifestyle choices you make.