Your Pet’s Environmental Pawprint

Just like us, diet, and the waste that comes with it, is one of the biggest drivers of our carbon footprint over a lifetime. We spend a lot of time choosing food for our pets. What we don’t always think about is how those choices shape more than just their waistlines. Over their whole life, what goes into the bowl also shapes their health, waste and environmental impact.

It’s not unusual to see the same patterns in our pets that we recognise in ourselves. Weight creeps on, movement feels harder as joints complain, and energy drops. These changes rarely come from one big shift, they build slowly through everyday habits, particularly around food.

Over a lifetime, cats and dogs will consume hundreds of kilos of their food. When portions increase (by intention or accident!), weight often follows. This can place extra strain on joints and increases the risk of diabetes, heart problems and mobility issues. More frequent vet visits, long-term medication and specialist diets can follow, each carrying their own resource use, packaging and transport impacts.

What goes into the bowl matters too. Red meat can carry a higher environmental footprint than poultry, fish and plant-based proteins, while locally sourced and responsibly produced ingredients help reduce transport emissions and pressure on land. For some dogs, newer plant-based or insect-protein diets can be part of a balanced approach when chosen carefully and introduced with veterinary guidance. Cats, as obligate carnivores, have different needs and rely on properly balanced diets, making quality and sourcing especially important.

Where many of us run into trouble is not intention, but estimation. Feed scoop sizes vary and those treat calories add up quickly, and it’s easy for more than one person to feed without realising. Measuring food properly and being consistent with portions helps protect healthy weight while also reducing uneaten food and unnecessary waste.

Storage plays its part as well, as food that isn’t sealed properly can lose freshness, spoil and end up thrown away. Keeping dry food airtight and buying sensible quantities avoids waste and reduces the need for extra packaging and transport when replacements are bought.

Larger bags where practical tend to reduce packaging, and choosing recyclable packs (then recycling them properly) helps cut the amount sent to landfill through everyday feeding. None of this needs us to be perfect, and we don’t have to do everything all at once. It’s about being a little more aware of what we use, what we throw away and what our wonderful pets actually need.

At Agria, we support informed, preventative care, helping owners make everyday decisions that protect animal wellbeing, while also reducing environmental impact. Find out more about our sustainability initiatives here: https://www.agriapet.co.uk/sustainability/

Any significant change to your pet’s diet should always be made gradually and with advice from your veterinary professional, particularly for older animals or those with medical conditions.