Friday, September 26, 2008

Day 158 of our Green Year: Being A Responsible Pet Owner

At our new ranch home we have quite a few dogs and cats. Most of the animals have found their way to the ranch because irresponsible people from the city drop the pets off in the middle of nowhere, thinking they will find a home in the wild. This is idiotic thinking and it leads to the death of far too many innocent animals.
Since Layla and I are bringing our animals to the ranch (they are included in the above number), we have to take the steps to be a responsible pet owner, which includes spaying one of our cats. The reason we are doing this is because there are far too many cats on Earth, and most are not cared for. People do not think that fixing their cats or dogs is something that needs to be done, but when we look at how many dogs and cats there are on Earth, fixing is something that is needed. In the United States alone, there are 90 million cats and 75 million dogs.

Many cats and dogs have great homes, but far too many do not and when pet owners are not responsible, the number of cats and dogs left homeless or in shelters increases. There are plenty of wonderful dogs and cats in shelters who want a home.

As well, when cats are let out and allowed to be strays, they play havoc with the environment. Cats literally kill hundreds of millions of birds, reptiles and mammals every single year. That only exasperates the problem of dwindling species.

So, something you can do to go green and to be responsible, is to have your pets spayed or neutered.

On that same note, if you are going to buy a dog or a cat, then go to the shelters. These animals are wonderful and only want a home. Do not go to puppy mills!