We love our cats unconditionally. But let us be honest about something: pet ownership has an environmental footprint, and it is not insignificant. A 2017 study estimated that dogs and cats in the United States alone are responsible for 25 to 30 percent of the environmental impact of animal agriculture. That number might be surprising, but when you consider that there are roughly 370 million pets in the US eating meat-based diets, it starts to make sense.
This is not a guilt trip. It is an invitation to think about where we can make better choices without compromising our cats' health or happiness. Because the truth is, many of the most sustainable choices are also the smarter choices.
The Numbers
Let us start with some context. The average house cat has an annual carbon footprint of roughly 310 kilograms of CO2 equivalent. That is about two percent of the average American's footprint, or the equivalent of driving about 750 miles in a standard car.
The vast majority of that impact, roughly 80 percent, comes from food. This makes intuitive sense. Cats are obligate carnivores, and meat production is one of the most resource-intensive forms of agriculture. The remaining impact comes from litter, toys, accessories, veterinary visits, and other supplies.
Now, we are emphatically not suggesting you put your cat on a plant-based diet. That would be dangerous and irresponsible for an obligate carnivore. But there are meaningful choices within the realm of meat-based cat food that can reduce environmental impact.
Food Choices Matter
Not all animal proteins have equal environmental footprints. Beef and lamb have the highest impact, requiring significantly more land, water, and energy per calorie than poultry or fish. A cat food based on chicken or turkey has a substantially lower carbon footprint than one based on beef.
Here are some food-related choices that can make a difference:
Choose poultry-based foods over beef-based ones. Chicken production generates roughly one-quarter the greenhouse gas emissions of beef production per unit of protein. Your cat will not miss the beef, and the planet will thank you.
Look for foods that use by-products thoughtfully. "By-products" has become a dirty word in pet food marketing, but using the parts of an animal that humans do not eat, organ meats, trimmings, and the like, is actually more sustainable than discarding them. A cat food that uses chicken liver, heart, and gizzards is making better use of the whole animal.
Avoid overfeeding. This one is straightforward. An overweight cat is consuming more resources than necessary. Feeding appropriate portions is good for your cat's health and good for the environment. Nearly 60 percent of cats in the US are overweight or obese, which means there is a lot of unnecessary consumption happening.
Consider the packaging. Aluminum cans are among the most recyclable materials on earth. Pouches and flexible packaging, despite being lighter, are almost never recyclable. If sustainability is a priority, canned food in recyclable packaging is the better choice.
Litter and Waste
Cat litter is the second-largest contributor to a cat's environmental footprint, and it is an area where there is real room for improvement.
Traditional clay litter is obtained through strip mining, a process that is devastating to landscapes and ecosystems. It is not biodegradable, and the US sends an estimated two million tons of clay litter to landfills every year. That is a staggering amount of waste for a product that is used once and thrown away.
Clumping clay litter with sodium bentonite is the most popular choice, but it has the same mining and disposal concerns, plus the addition of chemicals used to enhance clumping.
Fortunately, there are increasingly good alternatives:
Wood-based litters made from sustainably sourced pine or cedar are biodegradable and often compostable. They have excellent odor control and are lighter than clay.
Corn, wheat, and walnut shell litters are made from agricultural by-products and are fully biodegradable. Many of these clump well and are flushable in small quantities, though you should check local regulations before flushing any litter.
Recycled paper litters are another solid option, especially for cats recovering from surgery who need a dust-free environment.
A note on composting cat litter: while biodegradable litters can technically be composted, cat feces can contain Toxoplasma gondii and should never be used in compost destined for food gardens. Composted cat litter is fine for ornamental plantings only.
Toys and Accessories
The pet industry generates an enormous amount of plastic waste, much of it in the form of toys that get played with for five minutes and then ignored forever. Sound familiar?
Here are some ways to reduce waste in this category:
Choose durable over disposable. A well-made wool felt toy or a solid wood wand will last far longer than a cheap plastic one and is safer for your cat to chew on.
Embrace DIY. Cats are famously entertained by boxes, paper bags, crinkled paper, and the rings from milk jugs. You do not need to buy elaborate toys to keep your cat engaged. A cardboard box with holes cut in it provides hours of entertainment at zero environmental cost.
Choose natural materials. Sisal rope, wool, cotton, and untreated wood are biodegradable and generally safer than plastics. This extends to scratching posts, beds, and carriers.
Repair rather than replace. That cat tree with the fraying sisal post does not need to go to the landfill. You can re-wrap the posts with new sisal rope for a fraction of the cost and waste of buying a new one.
Small Changes Add Up
The point of all this is not to achieve some impossible standard of zero-impact cat ownership. Cats need to eat meat. They need litter. They deserve toys and comfort. The goal is to make thoughtful choices where the alternatives are genuinely available and practical.
Switch from clay to a plant-based litter. Choose chicken over beef. Use recyclable packaging when possible. Buy fewer but better toys. Feed appropriate portions. These are not radical changes. They are modest adjustments that, multiplied across millions of cat households, add up to a meaningful difference.
At Nine Lives Club, we think about this with every product we curate. We favor sustainable materials, responsible sourcing, and minimal packaging not because it is trendy, but because it is the right thing to do for the world our cats live in.
After all, cats have nine lives. We would like to make sure the planet is worth living them in.