Cat versus dogs: Which one makes the most sustainable pet?
Like many families my kids have been lobbying for a pet. Read this story in te reo Maori and English here . / Panuitia tenei i te reo Maori me te reo Pakeha ki konei . Our family cant agree. One daughter is obsessed with cats and the other would die for a dog (or a sloth if that was an option). Which one has the lowest environmental impact? READ MORE: * Killer cat facts we can't talk about and why that needs to change * Pet numbers have to shrink if we want to help save the planet, expert says * Rodent dog helps keep pests from Urupukapuka Island While numbers vary, international studies measuring the environmental impact of pets all agree on one point. Our animal companions have a significant ecological footprint. If all the worlds cats and dogs were the population of one country they would rank fifth in the world for meat consumption, one study found . An average-sized dog has a carbon footprint of 770 kg per year, according to Mike Berner-Lees book The Carbon Footprint of Everything . Thats an equivalent to a return flight from Auckland to Wellington and a night in a hotel. Compare that with a Great Dane, which has a whopping annual footprint of 2,500kg. Thats equal to a flight between Auckland and Perth. Meanwhile, an average cat is responsible for 310kg of carbon each year. That gets us back down a one-way flight between Auckland and Wellington. Size does matter To put it simply, the larger your pet and the more meat it gobbles, the bigger its carbon paw print. A rottweiler will always need more food than a pint-sized Pomeranian. The average cat will have a smaller footprint than the average dog. Try this handy calculator to find out the likely carbon footprint of your pooch. Its not just carbon When we talk about sustainability, carbon is only one of the factors. Cats can have a smaller carbon footprint than dogs, but have a major impact on our native species. However dogs can cause problems as well. Regardless of how well they are fed, they kill all kinds of native wildlife, including birds, lizards, weta and other insects. Forest and Bird ask responsible cat owners to get their pets de-sexed, put a bell on them and keep them inside at night. No more pets? Does this mean we should show Doggo and Whiskers the door? No! Pets bring measurable benefits to our physical and mental health. People who own pets have less stress, better sleep, more physical activity, fewer heart attacks, lower rates of depression, and increased self-esteem. Here are some things we can do to keep their carbon footprint down: Consider a smaller breed if choosing a dog. Buy sustainably sourced food. The biggest impact comes from the meat in our pets diet . Could we cut it out or feed them less? While some dogs can live on a balanced vegan diet according to UK pet charity Blue Cross, its a no-no for cats. Switch from wet to dry food. A study comparing more than 900 cat and dog foods , from store-bought packs to homemade meals found dry foods had the lowest impact. Consider the pet-food packaging to pick the best option. Buy locally-made pet food. This is more likely to be made with energy from renewable sources and cuts out overseas transport emissions. New Zealand beef and lamb also have a lower carbon footprint than globally-sourced meat. Consider alternatives such as chicken or insect-based pet food (its currently still costly though). Dont overfeed them . Dont buy premium cuts that are fit for human consumption for your pets. Deal with their waste environmentally. Use biodegradable cat litter, compostable dog poo bags, and if you can, set up a separate compost for pet waste . While researching this article, I discovered studies comparing the carbon footprint of a dog to that of a child. The dog wins by miles! Im still not sure if our family is ready for a pet. But were keeping the kids. Read more: This or that: Whats more sustainable wine in a can or a bottle?