Was looking for something else online but I found this interesting question. Is owning pets a waste of the planet resources? It was in an article that says, in the U.S., the 70 million dogs kept as pets largely eat meat-based diets. If you put all the American dogs, cats and other pets on their own island, they would rank fifth in global meat consumption, behind Russia, Brazil, the U.S. and China, and that pet dogs and cats are responsible for up to 30 percent of the environmental impact of animal agriculture in the U.S. So, if we are trying to consume less and encouraging people to eat less meat, should we be feeding so much to pets?

Is owning pets a waste of the planet resources?

Britt-Marie

Woo this is a big one!

You can take away people's rights and jobs and money and whatever and they will not do much, but try to take away their cats and dogs and watch them go crazy. 🙂

Marin-94

Britt-Marie You can take away people's rights and jobs and money and whatever and they will not do much, but try to take away their cats and dogs and watch them go crazy. 🙂

Yes, people love the dogs more than they love other people, it does not make sense to me personally but it is true.

Julie Brooks-Girskiene

Britt-Marie You can take away people's rights and jobs and money and whatever and they will not do much, but try to take away their cats and dogs and watch them go crazy. 🙂

This made me laugh because it is so true!

Ash

It's not something that I ever thought of really. But I guess they do lead to a huge amount of wasted resources. But as Britt-Marie mentioned, I don't think many people are willing to change things that might affect their pets

I am Ashlynn

It's a good question. Personally I do not want to have pets, just because I don't want to be responsible for them, my parents have cats and fish in a pond in the garden, and sometimes they do not mix well.

With dogs especially as well as food they use a lot of plastic, they do not have to but people buy it for them, bowls, toys, beds, I don't know what else. If you walk through a pet shop it is like a plastic wonderland.

Ash

Marin-94

Especially true for some over here in the UK. It's extremely weird because I'm sure, if some people had a choice, their pets would have more rights than some people would.

Arvīds

What about feeding dogs meat free food, if it is ok or better for humans then maybe it is find for them too, or is that really not ok?

Piri

Hmm… I would love to have a dog, but don't have conditions and probably that would be a way to feel good… had never considered the environmental impact.

Plant based foods are not natural.for dogs, but it is possible just making sure that it would be nutritious with all needed nutrients.

Some time ago I was looking for some eco foods for dogs and some canned food was very expensive and probably I would like to try 😁😁 like sweet potatoes ect. Dry food probably I would buy in a big packages and other food would be the food I eat.

Anyway, I would like to see people protecting and fighting for the orphan kids as much as they fight for the orphan pets. And if they have pets they would take care about them consciously.

Just thinking how many poopy bags people use each day….. even they are biodegradable they don't disappear quickly. And if each meal has its seperate packaging…

Lison

Piri Anyway, I would like to see people protecting and fighting for the orphan kids as much as they fight for the orphan pets. And if they have pets they would take care about them consciously.

💯 So much agree with this. It is crazy what happens to people when they see a dog on the street on the holiday. They pay for the veterinary bills and get permissions and buy tickets to ship it across the world to their home to take care of it. But they do not care that the money they spend on one dog can pay for the whole orphanage in the developing country! The people are crazy!

Arvīds

Piri Plant based foods are not natural.for dogs,

I know some people who believe not eating meat is not natural for humans too.

Vilte

Pets bring comfort and joy to people that is far bigger and more important than whatever resources they use up, they are just like children. You would not stop feeding your baby because of the carbon footprint of baby food and so the same thing applies with pet food.

Piri

Julie Brooks-Girskiene You can take away people's rights and jobs and money and whatever and they will not do much, but try to take away their cats and dogs and watch them go crazy.

I am probably going to have a pet in the future, but it will be because selfish reasons to make me feel good… and that is selfish 🙂

Öko Kaapo

In fact, dogs in nature are not just meat eaters, they eat plants as well. The dogs have a long intestine like humans or bears that means they get the nutritiients out of plants or meat.

But cats have a short intestine wo they really need to eat meat.

I am Ashlynn

Öko Kaapo But cats have a short intestine wo they really need to eat meat.

But still there are some bands of vegan cat food, on the market, I just Googled and there they are.

Arvīds

Öko Kaapo But cats have a short intestine wo they really need to eat meat.

Does it mean that in the wild cats do not eat any plants at all, only meat?

Mirmar

Piri A tortoise? 😆

Piri

Mirmar

I am actually against wild creatures as pets and I do not like zoo… 🙂

But.talking eco then I guess 😁😁😁

plantpowered

I am a vegan, but I don't think that feeding animals that are natural meat eaters a vegan diet is right.

Ash

Reminds me of a woman who went on a morning show over here in the UK. She was feeding her dog a vegan/vegetarian diet. They wanted to test it out and the dog ended up going for meat.

Mirmar

Ash They wanted to test it out and the dog ended up going for meat.

Of course, dogs are naturally programmed to associate the smell of meat with food, and they have noses that are so much more sensitive and powerful than ours.

Piri

Mirmar Ash They wanted to test it out and the dog ended up going for meat.

Of course, dogs are naturally programmed to associate the smell of meat with food, and they have noses that are so much more sensitive and powerful than ours.

Animals follow their instincts, people not so much…. But I believe much more people would choose meat if they would not consider the environmental & ethical factor.

As well many dogs was created as new breeds for different reasons, some of them hunting, ect. L

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