Silver Living Manchester

29 www.silverlivingmagazine.co.uk food industry, rather than premium ingredients which expand the number of livestock killed for food.” Avoid vegan diets As humans attempt to reduce their meat consumption, it may be tempting to offer your dog or cat an exclusively vegan diet. Don’t do this. Cats are carnivores and need to eat meat. Dogs are omnivores and can eat some vegetables but cannot be exclusively vegan. “We need to meet their nutritional needs and a vegan diet is just not appropriate for cats or dogs,” says veterinarian Dr Andrea Harvey. “I think it's a potential welfare issue - and ethical issue - is it right for us to withhold meat from the diet of a natural carnivore?” Ask your vet what you should feed your animal “It is impossible to make a blanket recommendation about what to feed companion animals,” says Dr Fawcett. “Ask your veterinarian about how you can provide a complete, balanced diet for your pet or seek advice from a specialist veterinary nutritionist. “A balanced diet may include fresh meat, bones and or veggies for dogs, but not all individual pets can tolerate all foods so diets need to be tailored.” Choose a smaller pet Consider choosing a pet that consumes less. This might be a smaller dog or a smaller animal such as a rabbit, rodent or lizard. “Feeding a rabbit, bird or reptile will have a much smaller impact on the environment than a dog,” says Dr Harvey. “Size is important, a 5kg dog will have much less impact than a 60kg dog. But we can’t just switch from carnivores to herbivores without learning how to care for them and handle them correctly. “A multi-species family is the norm now,” adds Dr Fawcett. “But we are the ones with choice and power. Do we need to change their diets? Or do we need to change ours?” Australia, earlier this year to discuss what pet owners can do. And they came up with a number of practical tips to help animal lovers reduce their pet’s carbon paw-prints. Dr Anne Fawcett, companion animal veterinarian and part-time lecturer at Sydney University’s veterinary science school, says. “We know that companion animals are important to us but we can take steps to reduce their paw-print. “We can also modify our own diets and lifestyle habits to reduce our carbon footprints – we have the choice.” How to reduce your pet’s carbon paw-print Adopt a pet “Adopt animals from shelters, pounds and rescue organisations, and adopt from local sources where possible,” says Dr Fawcett. “And choose a breed that is appropriate for the climate. Some dogs can overheat and may need air-conditioning. “Make sure your non-breeding animals, especially cats, are de-sexed at an early age to reduce the population of unwanted and stray animals.” Don’t overfeed your pets Animals do not need to be fed three times a day. “Overfeeding your companion animal can lead to waste and obesity so don’t overfeed your pet,” says nutritional ecologist Prof David Raubenheimer. “This is a win for the environment, the animal’s health and the family budget. Food production is the major contributor to environmental degradation on this planet. “Choose foods that are by-products of the human What you can do GROWING numbers of people are becoming environmentally aware and taking real steps to cut their carbon footprint. But what about the impact pets can have on the environment? A group of experts came together in Sydney, Opening Hours: 11:30 am - 4:30 pm Makea securedonationwithpaypal viaourwebsite: www.animalshelter.org.uk BOLTON DESTITUTE ANIMAL SHELTER COME AND VIEW OUR CATS & DOGS LOOKING FOR A LOVING HOME! Northolt Drive, Great Lever, Bolton BL3 6NJ 01204 526486