Maybe we should keep smaller pets.
Australians are increasingly identifying their pets as family members and spending more and more on much-loved companion animals each year. The average dog now costs $1500 a year to feed, the average cat, $1000 a year.
Research tells us that dogs and cats are responsible for up to 30 percent of the environmental impact of red meat consumption in the United States. But is it ethical to kill one animal to feed another one? What should we feed our pets when food production generation millions of tonnes of greenhouse gases and millions of humans are undernourished? Can we reduce our pets' eco paw-print and care for our animals ethically?
"Animal welfare, human wellbeing and environmental sustainability are inextricably linked," said Dr Anne Fawcett, companion animal veterinarian and part-time lecturer within the School of Veterinary Science. "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."
At the 9th annual Robert Dixon Memorial Animal Welfare Symposium, held on 28 August, in the School of Veterinary Science, a panel of experts offered some practical tips for animal lovers.
Consider adopting a pet from a shelter.
Adopt a pet
"Adopt animals from shelters, pounds and rescue organisations, and adopt from local sources where possible," said 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 desexed at an early age to reduce the population of unwanted and stray animals."
Animals do not need to be fed three times a day.
Don't overfeed your pets
"Overfeeding your companion animal can lead to waste and obesity so don't overfeed your pet," said Professor David Raubenheimer, a nutritional ecologist at the University of Sydney "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 food industry, rather than premium ingredients which expand the number of livestock killed for food."
Cats are obligate carnivores and cannot eat a vegan diet.
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 obligate 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," said Dr Andrea Harvey, veterinarian with specialist qualifications in feline medicine. "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? It's ok if we make the choice to do that for ourselves but is it right to impose that on other individuals?"
Ask your vet what you should feed your animal
"It is impossible to make a blanket recommendation about what to feed companion animals," said 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."
Animals love a challenge. Hide their food and let them find it.
Make the food fun
"We also need to think about how we feed our animals," said Michelle Shaw, who is the Zoo and Wildlife Nutritionist for the Taronga Conservation Society. "We can enrich their diets by moving their food around. Animals love a challenge. Instead of keeping their food bowl in the same place, make them look for their bowl. Put it in a different place every day. Or put their food inside something and make them play with it to get it out. It can improve their behaviour for the rest of their day."
Reduce waste
If you are overfeeding your animals it can lead to a lot of waste. Avoid this by offering smaller amounts of food. Look for environmentally friendly packaging of food. "Use biodegradable bags for containing pet food and for collecting your dog's waste," said Dr Fawcett. "And use ceramic, metal or other non-plastic food bowls."
Image gallery of smaller pets
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," said 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," added 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?"
