Caring about our planet as best as possible is a great way to kick off 2020. So what can you do as pet owners to ensure that we protect the planet and make sustainable choices as often as possible?

Here are six top tips for sustainable pet ownership:

1. Buy in bulk – buying bigger bags of pet food reduces the use of plastic packaging. Remember that you can recycle your soft plastics (dry pet food bags) at participating supermarkets. If your pet gets wet food, recycle the aluminium tins (remember wash them out and remove the label before putting them in the recycling bin).

2. Deal with poo properly – keep it out of our fragile waterways (reducing potential contamination) by always picking up your dog’s poo. ALWAYS use a biodegradable dog poo bag as this will ensure the poo and the bag will break down.

3. Choose responsibly made pet toys and pet bedding – choose well made products such as good quality bedding, collars and leads. Invest in a product that will last longer and won’t just end up in landfill in a few months. Use recycled paper cat litter in the litter tray too!

4. Adopt a pet – save a life! This is a no-brainer when it comes to caring about pets and making sustainable choices for the planet.

5. Protect our wildlife – our wildlife is precious. Keep cats inside from dusk to dawn and place a bell on their collar when they are outside. Keep dogs leashed and under control at all times unless they are in a designated off leash area. You can also supply bowls of water for our wildlife in safe areas (and remember to always put a few sticks in so smaller critters can get in and out easily).

If you have any other great ideas for sustainable pet ownership, we’d love to hear about them! Post them up on our FACEBOOK for the rest of our Pet Doctors furry family to see!