Food, litter, accessories… The cat’s carbon footprint is beginning to worry its owners. Here are some tips to reduce it.
By Emilie Trevert
© Iuliia Alekseeva / iStockphoto / CHATS-Getty Images/iStockphotoIuliia Alekseeva
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VSBalancing ecological imperatives and caring for your domestic cat is not always easy. A New Zealand study, published in the journal New Scientist in 2009*, had concluded that the annual carbon footprint of the favorite animal of the French would be comparable to that of a Volkswagen Golf… Less than that of the dog, while likewise, which would be twice as large as a large SUV.
Let’s start with food: can you imagine making your cat vegetarian? Some ecologists, plagued by this paradox – to offer their cat meat food when they themselves abstain from it – are beginning to seriously ask themselves the question. The answer is no ! The cat is what is called a “strict carnivore”, depriving it of meat would put its health in danger. On this side, you will therefore not be able to reduce its animal protein intake.
READ ALSOWill cats take over the planet?France is the leading European producer of pet food (2 million tonnes per year). A scandal for François-Michel Lambert, the former environmentalist deputy who had proposed an amendment – ultimately deemed inadmissible – aimed at classifying cats as an invasive species. This circular economy specialist, who estimates the CO impact2 of the “colossal” feline, made his calculations: “Five hundred thousand cats is the equivalent of 7,000 to 8,000 cows to feed them! Raising cows to feed cats, ethically, that raises questions…”
Organic ranges, without GMOs or pesticides
But cows aren’t exclusively bred to feed cats. Especially since the dishes prepared for pets are not all stamped ” pure beef and may contain “animal by-products”. VSwhich means that the manufacturer used as ingredients parts of animal carcasses declared safe for human consumption, but which humans do not consume.
It is true, however, that cats consume a lot of industrial food (97.5% kibble) and that they are fed less often than dogs with table scraps or home-cooked food. Some brands have developed organic ranges, without GMOs or pesticides. There is also a new trend based on raw meat and bones or offal, called BARF for “bone and raw food ». Ua healthier diet, close to what the cat would find in the wild, without additives or preservatives, but sometimes served in plastic trays…
According to a guide from the League for the Protection of Birds (LPO), a balanced diet (therefore essentially meat), self-service in the Raminagrobis bowl, still has an advantage: limiting its movements outside in search of prey and thus protect the small fauna of the gardens.
Playing with your cat is also one of the recommendations of the LPO to limit predation. Regarding accessories and toys for cats, there is no need to succumb to all the trendy gadgets that can now be found in the most chic stores, knowing that a cat will often prefer a good old pair of socks or a ball of yarn. Niches, cat trees or scratching posts can be homemade, tutorials exist on the Internet.
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Anaerobic digestion
We must not forget the litter which clearly has an impact on the environment. Its production consumes non-renewable resources (such as clay extracted from quarries), it diffuses dust and sometimes contains substances that can be dangerous for the environment and health (especially when the pellets are bleached, perfumed or treated). A study by the mineralogical analysis laboratory of the Saint-Joseph Saint-Luc hospital center in Lyon showed that certain litters contained a high rate of fine PM10 particles due to the presence of clay and silica.
It is estimated that around 615,000 tonnes of waste per year (all litter combined), the equivalent of 5% in our bins. “Mineral litter, which is 90% of the market (based on bentonite, or silica produced in China) is poisonous for the environment, explains Marie-Pierre Medouga-Ndjikessi, project manager for the Plant Litter Transition mission. They are not recoverable and they must be buried most of the time, unlike vegetable litter”.
Made from wood (fibers, shavings, granules), cardboard or cereals, vegetable litter has the advantage of being 100% natural and biodegradable. More expensive to buy, it has a longer lifespan, can burn and would even produce energy. Its supporters are trying to include it in the list of bio-waste. “If all of France switched to vegetable litter, 500,000 tonnes of CO2 would be saved! “says Marie-Pierre Medouga-Ndjikessi. We may soon be able to use soiled plant litter to make biogas through methanation. Discussions are underway with the French Environment and Energy Management Agency (Ademe) and an experiment is being prepared.
The cat, like any living being, will never be 100% neutral, so improving its carbon footprint depends on the information and good practices of its master.
*Time to Eat the Dog: The real guide to sustainable living.