{"id":15262545,"date":"2026-08-20T10:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-20T14:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/how-to-lessen-your-pets-impacts-on-the-planet\/"},"modified":"2026-08-20T14:34:23","modified_gmt":"2026-08-20T18:34:23","slug":"how-to-lessen-your-pets-impacts-on-the-planet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/how-to-lessen-your-pets-impacts-on-the-planet\/","title":{"rendered":"How to lessen your pet\u2019s impacts on the planet"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While John Harvey was working as a veterinarian in Devon, England, his clinic looked for ways to lower its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.snexplores.org\/article\/cut-carbon-footprint-climate-change-greenhouse-gases\">carbon footprint<\/a>. They installed energy-efficient light bulbs. This got Harvey thinking: What about the animals? How much did pets impact the planet?<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Take their food. Dogs and cats eat a meat-based diet. Raising livestock for meat uses a lot of land, water and energy. It also contributes to climate change by producing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.snexplores.org\/article\/explainer-co2-and-other-greenhouse-gases\">greenhouse gases<\/a>. Harvey suspected pet food would have a large carbon footprint, but he couldn\u2019t find much data on it. So in 2024, Harvey started studying how different types of dog food affect the planet. Now, he\u2019s a researcher at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and the University of Exeter in England.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"wp-block-sciencenews-inline-related-post alignleft\">\n<h4><a href=\"https:\/\/www.snexplores.org\/article\/explainer-co2-and-other-greenhouse-gases\">Explainer: CO<sub>2<\/sub> and other greenhouse gases<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Outdoor dogs and cats may also hunt or scare local wildlife. And many other pets \u2014 reptiles, frogs, birds and fish \u2014 are taken from the wild for sale as pets. This could harm wild populations and the ecosystems they come from.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But, in many homes, pets are an important part of the family. They can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.snexplores.org\/article\/pets-animals-boost-health-wellbeing-psychology\">boost our well-being <\/a>and bring joy. Harvey has found ways to both <a href=\"https:\/\/www.petsandplanet.org\/\" rel=\"noopener\">love our pets and care for the planet<\/a>. Now, he and other scientists share science-based tips for pet owners seeking to shrink the environmental pawprint of their pets\u2019 foods, poop and origins.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Chow down chowhounds<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dogs are super <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tandfonline.com\/doi\/full\/10.1080\/27658511.2024.2415181\" rel=\"noopener\">popular pets<\/a>. In the United States alone, there are close to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.avma.org\/resources-tools\/reports-statistics\/us-pet-ownership-statistics\" rel=\"noopener\">90 million pet canines<\/a>. What dogs eat is their \u201cbiggest single impact\u201d on the planet, Harvey says. He is part of a team that analyzed nearly 1,000 types of dog food. Their goal: to calculate the greenhouse gas emissions linked with making each.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Wet and raw dog foods had the highest emissions. Wet food\u2019s footprint was high because it comes in metal cans, which take a lot of energy and resources to make. Raw dog food contains more meat than other types of foods. It also needs energy to keep it cold.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The type of meat we feed dogs also really matters. This includes the animal it comes from, such as chicken, fish or beef. But also \u201cyou can make great dog food out of trimmings of meat,\u201d Harvey says. These are the parts often not used in human food, such as liver and kidney. Using meat parts that would otherwise be thrown out means using fewer livestock \u2014 and their associated resources.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"960\" src=\"https:\/\/www.snexplores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/08\/1440_pet_eco_pawprint_dogfood_0d2f75.jpg\" alt=\"a photo of a dog waiting for a bowl of dry food\" class=\"wp-image-243267\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><span class=\"caption wp-caption-243267\">Researchers calculated the greenhouse gas emissions linked to making nearly 1,000 kinds of dog food. The one with the biggest eco-\u201cpawprint\u201d released a whopping 65 times more &nbsp;emissions than the \u201cgreenest\u201d food. Some of the most climate-friendly options were dry foods without beef or lamb and that weren&#8217;t grain-free.<\/span><span class=\"credit wp-credit-243267\">Lajst\/iStock\/Getty Images Plus<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One surprise: The dog food with the largest footprint produced a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0959652625026344?via%3Dihub\" rel=\"noopener\">whopping 65 times<\/a> the greenhouse-gas emissions of the food with the smallest footprint. (Compare this with foods that people eat. A high-meat diet produces 2.5 times the emissions of a plant-based diet.) Harvey\u2019s team shared those findings this January in the <em>Journal of Cleaner Production<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That means that with dog food, there \u201cis a pretty big opportunity to make a difference,\u201d Harvey reports.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here are some tips. Choose dry food. Skip the lamb and beef. Don\u2019t feed your dog human-grade meat or grain-free food. The extra meat in grain-free food isn\u2019t needed for a dog\u2019s health, Harvey says. Be careful not to overfeed, which Harvey notes is unhealthy for both your dog and the planet. And when choosing a new dog, consider a small one; they\u2019ll eat less and have a smaller overall footprint.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Over time, peoples\u2019 choices may lead breeders to produce more small dogs.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Poop patrol<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With a pooch, it\u2019s not just what goes in but also what comes out. Poop left outdoors can pollute the land and water, notes Emily Bryson. She\u2019s an environmental scientist at Central Queensland University in Wayville, Australia. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.snexplores.org\/article\/scientists-say-nutrient\">Nutrients<\/a> in fresh poop can leach into water. And dog poop may also contain disease-causing germs or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.snexplores.org\/article\/scientists-say-parasite\">parasites<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Responsible dog owners pick up the pet wastes and throw it away. Making those bags spews climate-warming greenhouse gases, as does the decay of poop in landfills.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But Bryson has a solution.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cDog poo, in itself, is a valuable resource,\u201d she says. \u201cIt just needs to be treated to be made safe.\u201d She studied how composting can transform nutrients in poop into forms that plants can use.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most city-scale compost programs don\u2019t allow dog poop, Bryson found. So she focused her research on home composting. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0956053X2600139X\" rel=\"noopener\">Dog poop decomposes well<\/a>, she found. Pathogens died and nutrients became available in a form plants can use as a fertilizer. In the end, the poop became valuable.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.snexplores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/08\/1440_pet_eco_pawprint_compost.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"561\" src=\"https:\/\/www.snexplores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/08\/1440_pet_eco_pawprint_compost.png\" alt=\"a series of photos showing how dop poop composted in home compost over time\" class=\"wp-image-243265\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><span class=\"caption wp-caption-243265\">Researchers tested the breakdown of compostable bags for dog poop in home compost (left). Over 9.5 months, the bags did not fully degrade (middle). Instead, the bags broke down into a mass of polluting microplastics (right).<\/span><span class=\"credit wp-credit-243265\">Bryson <em>et al<\/em>\/<em>Waste Management<\/em> 2026 (<a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-nd\/4.0\/\" rel=\"noopener\">CC BY-NC-ND 4.0<\/a>)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Getting dog poop into a compost container takes some creativity. Even compostable bags break down into <a href=\"https:\/\/www.snexplores.org\/article\/scientists-say-microplastic\">microplastics<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0956053X24005531\" rel=\"noopener\">Bryson\u2019s team found<\/a>.&nbsp; And compostable bags are usually made from fossil fuel-based plastic. Instead of a bag, scoop poop with a tool straight into the bin. Or, Bryson suggests, put it into any paper product that will fully break down.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For instance, at some sites in New York City, people use newspaper to pick up and toss poo into a compost tumbler. The finished compost is used to <a href=\"https:\/\/bpca.ny.gov\/bpc-people\/climate-week-bpc-dog-waste-composting\/\" rel=\"noopener\">fertilize park plantings<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Cat quandaries<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some <a href=\"https:\/\/www.avma.org\/resources-tools\/reports-statistics\/us-pet-ownership-statistics\" rel=\"noopener\">76 million pet cats<\/a> live in the United States. As with dog food, dry cat foods \u2014 and those without beef and lamb \u2014 will be greener for the planet. Cats eat less than most dogs, so their diet\u2019s carbon pawprint is smaller.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But cats have a bigger impact on other animals. Environmental scientist Loren Fardell tracked how outdoor cats affect wildlife. While working at the University of Sydney, Australia, her team set up <a href=\"https:\/\/www.snexplores.org\/article\/scientists-say-infrared\">infrared<\/a> cameras in backyards and near open areas, such as parks. These cameras showed that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/journals\/ecology-and-evolution\/articles\/10.3389\/fevo.2023.1123355\/full\" rel=\"noopener\">wildlife avoided spots cats had visited<\/a> that day and even the day before.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Why? Outdoor cats leave a trail of scents in their urine, feces and shed fur, Fardell explains. Smells of a potential predator can stress birds and small mammals. These creatures could end up traveling farther and staying more vigilant to survive.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cats also kill \u2014 a lot! They kill up to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/ncomms2380\" rel=\"noopener\">4 billion birds and 20 billion mammals<\/a> each year in the United States. Globally, they\u2019ve also been linked to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pnas.org\/doi\/full\/10.1073\/pnas.1602480113\" rel=\"noopener\">extinction of 63 species<\/a>, including birds, reptiles and mammals.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"960\" src=\"https:\/\/www.snexplores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/08\/1440_pet_eco_pawprint_cat.jpg\" alt=\"a cat prowls out of some greenery into the open\" class=\"wp-image-243268\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><span class=\"caption wp-caption-243268\">Even the smell of a cat can affect wildlife. The scent felines leave behind in backyards and parks stresses out birds and other animals, which can affect how effectively they get food or look for mates.<\/span><span class=\"credit wp-credit-243268\">Irina Nedikova\/iStock\/Getty Images Plus<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Wildlife living near people already face stress from noise, lights, cars and habitat loss, Fardell points out. So it\u2019s important to keep cats indoors, she says. Or, use fully enclosed outdoor cat runs. This also keeps cats safe from disease, predators, cars or getting lost.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Indoor kitties use litter boxes. Companies mine the absorbent clay used to make for kitty litter. This can destroy natural habitats. So researchers are looking to make litter more sustainable.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Scientists with the U.S. Department of Agriculture found <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/abs\/pii\/S2589014X22003747\" rel=\"noopener\">discarded organic material, such as soybean hulls<\/a>, were a good alternative to clay. And some companies sell kitty litter made from other natural products, such as discarded olive pits.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Never flush cat poop down the toilet. It can contain parasites that can survive wastewater treatment and later infect and kill wild animals, such as dolphins.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Caring for exotic critters<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When Alice Hughes was a kid, she kept frogs, leopard geckos and a corn snake. Now she\u2019s a zoologist at the University of Melbourne in Australia. Her research focuses on the impact of wild-caught pets, including reptiles.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some 2.4 million U.S. households nurture pet reptiles. Their biggest impact will trace to whether they were wild caught or bred in captivity. Taking animals from the wild can weaken populations or even cause extinctions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hughes realized little effort had been made to track the impact of collecting wild animals for sale elsewhere. Laws to protect wildlife were largely set up for species known to be threatened with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.snexplores.org\/article\/scientists-say-extinction\">extinction<\/a>, such as elephants and red pandas. Few laws existed to protect critters collected for sale as pets.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, Indonesia exports eight million Tokay geckos a year. Most come from the wild, Hughes says. \u201cWhat is that doing to wild populations, not just geckos but all the other species in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.snexplores.org\/article\/scientists-say-food-web-definition-pronunciation\">the food web<\/a>?\u201d No one knows, she says, \u201cbecause we don\u2019t have the data to monitor that [impact].\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" height=\"450\" width=\"776\" src=\"https:\/\/www.snexplores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/08\/1440_pet_eco_pawprint_snake.jpg?w=776\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-243264\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><span class=\"caption wp-caption-243264\">Some reptiles breed easily in captivity, such as this corn snake. Buying captive-bred reptiles won\u2019t harm wild populations, which might suffer as people collect individuals for sale as pets.<\/span><span class=\"credit wp-credit-243264\">Vagengeym_Elena\/iStock\/Getty Images Plus<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Collection of wild animals for sale as pets <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/40078683\/\" rel=\"noopener\">has already wiped out wild populations of several species<\/a>, one 2023 study found. Another study found that when a species is captured for sale to pet owners, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41559-021-01399-y\" rel=\"noopener\">its populations in the wild can drop by up to 62 percent<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And this problem is only getting worse. Influencers showing off wild, or exotic, pets on TikTok and YouTube have made exotic reptile pets more popular, Hughes says. \u201cEveryone sees that they\u2019re cool. They don\u2019t take up much space. And so,\u201d she says, \u201cyou have this growing demand.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hughes found nearly half of all known species of reptiles are in the pet trade, most with no protection.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another problem: Some people may change their mind and not want their exotic pets any more. If set free, the animals might harm local wildlife. This has happened <a href=\"https:\/\/esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/full\/10.1002\/fee.2059\" rel=\"noopener\">with hundreds of species<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.snexplores.org\/article\/gorgeous-eco-bullies\">Asian lionfish<\/a> released from a U.S. aquarium, for instance, are now eating North American ocean dwellers. And pet <a href=\"https:\/\/www.snexplores.org\/article\/news-brief-rabbit-hunting-pythons-are-altering-everglades\">Burmese pythons released in Florida<\/a> are now gobbling up <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pnas.org\/doi\/abs\/10.1073\/pnas.1115226109\" rel=\"noopener\">native wildlife<\/a>, including opossums, bobcats and raccoons.<\/p>\n<p>.cheat-sheet-cta {<br \/>\n  border: 1px solid #ffffff;<br \/>\n  margin-top: 20px;<br \/>\n  background-image: url(&#8220;https:\/\/www.snexplores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/12\/cta-module@2x-2048&#215;239-1.png&#8221;);<br \/>\n  padding: 10px;<br \/>\n  clear: both;<br \/>\n}<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group cheat-sheet-cta is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\">Do you have a science question? We can help!<\/h2>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/forms.gle\/YbhPosFTMqjbSNnV7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Submit your question here<\/a>, and we might answer it an upcoming issue of&nbsp;<em>Science News Explores<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Collectors gotta catch \u2018em all<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Just like reptiles and fish, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.snexplores.org\/article\/scientists-say-amphibian\">amphibians<\/a> face threats from collectors looking to sell them into the pet trade.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Amphibian populations are even more at risk than reptiles because they\u2019re harder to keep alive during transport, says Hughes. Also, as collectors travel between sites they can spread diseases \u2014 such as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.snexplores.org\/article\/analyze-this-amphibian-population-chytrid-fungus-death-toll\">deadly chytrid fungus<\/a> \u2014 to previously healthy populations.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"wp-block-sciencenews-inline-related-post alignleft\">\n<h4><a href=\"https:\/\/www.snexplores.org\/article\/are-invertebrates-conscious-spiders-bees-crabs\">Invertebrates are pretty clever, but are they conscious?<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even spiders are vulnerable. They\u2019re \u201creally popular pets,\u201d says Hughes. \u201cVideos of dancing, jumping spiders on [social media] have increased the demand for [them as pets].\u201d Hughes found around 100 species being sold as pets that scientists had not yet described.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some, such as tarantulas, have long lives and small ranges. This means that if a collector catches too many tarantulas from one area, the local population could go extinct. There\u2019s a misconception that invertebrates breed rapidly and have short lives. That\u2019s not true for all, she says.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" height=\"450\" width=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/www.snexplores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/08\/081922_BM_spider-misinfo_feat.jpg?w=800\" alt=\"a close-up photo of a jumping spider\" class=\"wp-image-209869\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><span class=\"caption wp-caption-209869\">Social media posts featuring jumping spiders, such as this one, have popularized the arthropods as pets.<\/span><span class=\"credit wp-credit-209869\">xbn83\/Moment\/Getty Images Plus<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fish face many of the same problems. Even in countries with rules about reporting fish imports, no one really knows how many fish are coming in, Hughes notes. Importers may list \u201ctropical fish,\u201d which would not reveal whether they are transporting a highly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.snexplores.org\/article\/explainer-what-is-an-endangered-species\">endangered species<\/a>, she says.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Collectors are not thinking about protecting species in the wild. They\u2019re feeding \u201cthat Pok\u00e9mon mentality,\u201d says Hughes, \u201cto catch them all.\u201d She\u2019s seen species of large jumping spiders and cave geckos enter the pet trade just months after first being described as a newfound species by scientists.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Finding fantastic beasts<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Online pet stores make access to all sorts of creatures easy. Some animals there have been bred for the pet trade. But many others are hard to breed in captivity or are cheaper to collect from the wild. Stores often list these as \u201cfield collected.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sellers of field-collected species have no way to tell if their business harms native populations. That\u2019s why \u201ccaptive-bred animals are better,\u201d Hughes says. Corn snakes and bearded dragons, for instance, breed easily in captivity. And sales of captive-bred animals won\u2019t harm wild populations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another advantage: Captive-bred animals tend to have better temperaments, Hughes says, so you\u2019re less likely to get bitten by them. They\u2019re also less likely to have parasites or diseases, she says.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1440\" height=\"961\" src=\"https:\/\/www.snexplores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/08\/1440_pet_eco_pawprint_African_fire_skink.jpg\" alt=\"a photo of a brightly colored skink\" class=\"wp-image-243269\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><span class=\"caption wp-caption-243269\">Species such as this beautiful African fire skink do not breed easily in captivity. So when sold as pets, they invariably had been collected in the wild. In general, wild collection can shrink local animal populations, which may even go extinct. This can harm the ecosystems the creatures had been part of. <\/span><span class=\"credit wp-credit-243269\">Allen Szykula\/iStock\/Getty Images Plus<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A pet store should be able to tell you where animals were bred. And reputable breeders often provide some proof, such as photos of animal eggs on their websites.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Protections exist for some wild birds, Hughes says. Because of the fear of bird flu, there are stricter regulations for importing birds than for importing other creatures into the United States and Europe. This has reduced sales of wild birds.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lots of other small creatures make good, eco-friendly pets. Pocket pets, such as rats, hamsters or gerbils, are easy to breed and have a tiny footprint on the planet. Over a million U.S. households keep such pets.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1440\" height=\"865\" src=\"https:\/\/www.snexplores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/08\/1440_pet_eco_pawprint_rats.jpg\" alt=\"a photo of two pet rats snuggling in a cloth hammock\" class=\"wp-image-243271\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><span class=\"caption wp-caption-243271\">These two cuddly rats, like other pocket pets (including guinea pigs, hamsters or mice), eat a vegetarian diet and have a small eco-pawprint. <\/span><span class=\"credit wp-credit-243271\">Chris Scuffins\/Moment\/Collection Moment<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some people may enjoy a temporary pet borrowed from the outdoors. Yards and parks contain common insects and invertebrates that crawl, flit and fly.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hughes recommends trying a pet caterpillar. You can tell what it eats based on where you find it. Take a few leaves inside and watch it spin a cocoon and undergo <a href=\"https:\/\/www.snexplores.org\/article\/scientists-say-metamorphosis-definition-pronunciation\">metamorphosis<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Slugs and snails can be fun too, but be sure to wash your hands after touching them, she advises. They can have parasites. Or set up your own worm farm and watch the critters burrow. All you need is a clear jar and soil.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Whatever pets you choose, remember to \u201ctreat them with respect. Don\u2019t be rough with them,\u201d Hughes says.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Harvey, pets are really important. \u201cThey bring massive joy to a lot of people,\u201d he says. Now, for the health of the planet, he hopes we find ways to make pet ownership more sustainable.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"inmi-source\">Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.snexplores.org\/article\/greener-pets-less-impact-environment\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Science \u2013 sciencenewsforstudents<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Climate-friendly food choices, new poop solutions and avoiding animals collected from the wild can all help make pet ownership more sustainable.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15262549,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[218],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15262545","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-science"],"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/15262545-1440_pet_eco_pawprints_feat.webp",800,450,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/15262545-1440_pet_eco_pawprints_feat-300x169.webp",300,169,true],"medium":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/15262545-1440_pet_eco_pawprints_feat-620x349.webp",620,349,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/15262545-1440_pet_eco_pawprints_feat-768x432.webp",768,432,true],"large":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/15262545-1440_pet_eco_pawprints_feat.webp",800,450,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/15262545-1440_pet_eco_pawprints_feat.webp",800,450,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/15262545-1440_pet_eco_pawprints_feat.webp",800,450,false],"post-thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/15262545-1440_pet_eco_pawprints_feat.webp",800,450,false],"ignition_item":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/15262545-1440_pet_eco_pawprints_feat-670x446.webp",670,446,true],"ignition_item_lg":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/15262545-1440_pet_eco_pawprints_feat.webp",800,450,false],"ignition_article_media":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/15262545-1440_pet_eco_pawprints_feat-510x450.webp",510,450,true],"ignition_minicart_item":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/15262545-1440_pet_eco_pawprints_feat-160x160.webp",160,160,true],"profile_24":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/15262545-1440_pet_eco_pawprints_feat-24x24.webp",24,24,true],"profile_48":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/15262545-1440_pet_eco_pawprints_feat-48x48.webp",48,48,true],"profile_96":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/15262545-1440_pet_eco_pawprints_feat-96x96.webp",96,96,true],"profile_150":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/15262545-1440_pet_eco_pawprints_feat-150x150.webp",150,150,true],"profile_300":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/15262545-1440_pet_eco_pawprints_feat-300x300.webp",300,300,true]},"author_info":{"display_name":"news.iNthacity","author_link":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/author\/atombo\/"},"category_info":"<a href=\"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/articles\/science\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Science<\/a>","tag_info":"Science","comment_count":"0","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15262545","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15262545"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15262545\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15262548,"href":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15262545\/revisions\/15262548"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15262549"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15262545"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15262545"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15262545"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}