Green Queen: Eco-friendly pets

Pets are not able to think or act in a sustainable, environmentally friendly manner, so it is up to their owners to do it for them, says Eve Adamson, the author of Pets Gone Green: Live a More Eco-Conscious Life with Your Pets.
Owners can make sure their pet's food is organic, or at least pay attention to what is in any non-organic variety, clean up after their dogs and make sure their cat litter is good for the planet and healthy for their cat. That means avoiding anything with synthetic agents, crystals or silica, as well as the clay-based clumping variety.
Use more eco-friendly products when cleaning, or go all natural with effective household substitutes such as vinegar, lemon and baking soda, and further protect pets' vulnerable gastrointestinal, respiratory and immune systems. Choose non-toxic chew toys, keep expensive and unnecessary pet-related purchases to a minimum, and, if unable to resist the urge to dress them up in cute clothes, keep it to eco-wear.
Believe it or not, Unleashedpetwear.com will turn your old jacket and an assortment of other cast-offs into snazzy dog duds.
When it comes to pets, it is unwanted animals who place the biggest burden on the Earth's resources, according to Carol Frischmann, the author of Pets and the Planet and keeper of a blog by the same name. So even before bringing a pet home a conscious decision can be made to take in a stray or abandoned pet from a shelter and make sure to have them spayed or neutered.