Reduce your pet’s carbon “pawprint” by keeping it active. Give your dog or cat time each day to play outside—under your supervision, of course.

From the 8 billion pounds of kitty litter heading to landfills each year to the effects of a pet’s carnivorous diet, pet owners should be aware of the substantial carbon footprint left by pets.

“When you consider the carbon ‘pawprint’ of your pet, it also makes you think about some of the ways our own actions are affecting the environment,” says Tracie Hotchner, author and host of NPR’s Gracie-Award-winning show Cat Chat on Sirius Radio. “I encourage pet parents to take this opportunity to make changes in their behaviors and purchases to help take all of us into a new era of environmental responsibility.”

Pet product retailer Petco teamed up with Hotchner and Greenwala.com, a green lifestyle social networking and media company, to compile a list of simple ways to reduce the environmental impact of pets:

1. Use biodegradable and sustainable poop scoopers.

Who wants to populate the landfill will plastic bags full of dog doo? And are you aware that cat litter made from clay is mined much like coal? Use biodegradable poop bags when walking your dog and an eco-friendly cat litter in the kitty box.

2. Think adoption first.

According to American Humane, a survey of 1,000 animal shelters performed by the National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy showed that 56 percent of dogs and 71 percent of cats that enter animal shelters are euthanized. Add a pet to your household by adopting from a local shelter or rescue organization. Petco holds monthly in-store national adoption events where local shelters match people with pets in need.

3. Spay or neuter your pet.

More than 70,000 puppies and kittens are born every day, and our country is already overpopulated with homeless and abandoned animals. This has only gotten worse with the poor economy. Help decrease the number of homeless animals in the United States by spaying or neutering your animals. Not only does it help control animal over-population and homelessness, but it also has been demonstrated to provide long-term health and behavioral benefits for pets.

4. Use natural and organic pet food.

Your pets should eat the same quality foods you do. Natural, organic and holistic pet foods use proteins that are raised in sustainable, humane ways and do not contain hormones. They are preserved with natural vitamins. In addition, these healthy foods create less waste for you to clean up at the dog park. Look for the labels and see that they are full of vitamins and nutrients and are free of pesticides and bioengineering.

5. Use organic grooming and cleaning products.

Make cleaning-product choices that are as safe for the planet as they are for you and your pets. Many pet shampoos and cleaning supplies use plant-based cleansers and natural bio-cultures to remove pet stains and odors. These products, including natural flea removers, are non-toxic for pets and people.

6. Use organic and sustainable pet accessories.

Get collars, leashes and PET bottles made from recycled materials or sustainable fibers without herbicides or pesticides. While you are at it, find your pet organic-cotton and sustainably produced bedding to give it a sound sleep.

7. Avoid pet toys with harmful toxins.

When looking for pet toys, read the label and avoid toys containing lead. Lead in products is equally as harmful to pets as it is to humans. The best thing to do is to get creative and create toys from recycled items that you have laying around the house.

8. Be active and live a healthy lifestyle.

Get your pet out and keep it active. Take you dog to the backyard or to the local dog park. If you allow your cat run around outside, make sure there is a cat enclosure to keep it safe.

9. Pay attention to eco-friendly manufacturing

Choosing natural and organic-based products is important, but it’s just as important to support brands that use sustainable business practices when packaging, sourcing ingredients and recycling. Most companies proudly share their eco-conscious efforts on their websites.

10. Be committed to your pet.

Owning a pet is a big responsibility. Yes, pets are fun for all ages, but they need proper care. If you are committed to your pet, it will be easier for you to also implement the other tips above.

Photo by Audrey Pavia

Me with Rio, one of my equine therapists.

My life is hectic.

I work in an office all day as a technical writer and do freelance work in the evening and on weekends. I also have three horses on the 1/2-acre suburban lot I share with my husband, Randy, as well as seven chickens, a Corgi, and an urban barn cat (more of a garage cat, but we keep the hay in the garage, so it sort of qualifies as a barn). I also live with two rabbits and four cats inside the house.

It’s ironic that I have to work so hard to maintain my urban farm that I find I don’t have much time to enjoy it. My husband bugs me to slow down and relax, but I can’t. If I want the privilege of this lifestyle, I have to hustle to keep it.

I don’t know if it was a conspiracy between Randy and the horses, or if the horses came up with it on their own, but today was different, at least for a while: I was forced to slow down.

I had just gotten back from the grocery store and went out back to the horse stalls to check on the crew. Rio, my 2-year-old Spanish Mustang, had dumped over his plastic water trough and was playing with it. Randy has water duty, but he was in the house putting away groceries, and there I was. So I figured I would take a minute to fill up the trough.

I pulled the garden hose to Rio’s stall and dropped it in the trough. As I started to walk away, Rio grabbed the nozzle and started to play with it, squirting water all over the place. Knowing this boy’s capability for mischief, I realized I would have to stand guard over the hose the entire time. I had work to do in the house, but the trough needed filling. I hesitated. Should I wait for Randy to do it? Rio looked thirsty. What the hell, I figured. I’ll do it.

I knelt down on the outside of Rio’s stall so I wouldn’t have to bend over (bad back). Rio stuck his muzzle under the spray of water and started to play with it, flapping his lips and giving himself a Water Pik treatment on his teeth. Just then, my handsome 9-year-old Spanish Mustang, Milagro, who shares a fencing panel with Rio, sauntered over to watch.

Then, as if on cue, my very mellow 21-year-old Quarter Horse gelding, Red, came up and stood behind me. He was the lucky one getting “turnout” at the moment, meaning he had the freedom to roam around the outside of the stalls.

As I knelt at the trough, Rio continued to flap his lips in the water while Milagro began to doze. Red hovered over me, his chest only a few inches from my shoulder. His head was above me — when I looked up, I saw the bottom of his chin. He began to sniff my hair and absentmindedly brush it with his lips.

My horses have short attention spans, and such a scene should have only lasted a minute. But it didn’t. For 15 minutes, the four of us stayed as we were: Rio flapping his lips in the water, Milagro dozing within feet of me, Red standing over my shoulder. The sun was warm, the breeze was sweet and the birds were singing. I couldn’t tear myself away, no matter how much work I had to do. Thanks to my horses, I was forced to slow down and live in the moment — and remember why I work so hard.

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