Litter-Robot Celebrates Earth Day!
Celebrate Earth Day and enter to win a FREE ECO Unit Litter-RobotTM made from 100% recycled plastics!
Earth Day was founded in 1970 by Gaylord Nelson (1916-2005), a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin. At the time (and of course, still today) there was growing concern about population growth and its effect on the environment and April 22nd was chosen as the day to celebrate the Earth and the environment.
Here at Automated Pet Care Products, Inc., we build our products in Juneau, Wisconsin, USA (county seat of Dodge county). Building and buying locally helps to reduce carbon emissions from costly transportation from overseas – not to mention keeping jobs here in the USA. Using recycled materials and designing products for longevity and repair are also big steps toward reducing environmental impact.
To celebrate Earth Day we are giving away a FREE ECO Unit Litter-RobotTM. Simply write a paragraph or two (by commenting on this article) on how you and your pet are trying to reduce environmental impact. Or, if you have any tips or advice on how to be more ‘green’ with your pet, that would be great too.
The winner will be randomly selected from all the comments. Only pertinent comments will be considered for the drawing. Make sure to use a valid email address so we can contact you. Deadline for all comments will be June 1, 2009. The winner will be announced on this blog (www.litter-robot.com/blog) by June 8, 2009.
Sunday, 31 May, 2009 at 4:16
One of the ways we “recycle” in regard to our pets is by adopting shelter or rescue pets that others have discarded. We especially look for abandoned senior cats. Many people pass them by, but senior cats make wonderful pets! We have adopted an elderly Persian and another elderly Himalayan cat. Our only younger cat is a Turkish Angora who had been rescued from a hoarder.
When we go out to buy cat supplies we decline the usual plastic bags, instead using our own reusable grovery bags. Our reusuable bags were made from recycled plastic bottles. We buy flushable kitty litter and add only a few inches of litter per box. (Many people use far too much litter! Only a couple inches is needed.) We scoop often throughout the day to make sure the litter lasts longer between changes.
Since we do adopt senior and special-needs cats, they do sometimes “miss” the box. When this happens we use only natural enzyme cleaners rather than any chemicals. This is safer both for the environment and our cats. We keep the litter boxes deodorized by adding plain baking soda and mixing it well with the litter. This works so very well that there’s no need to buy potentially-irritating chemical litter deodorizers.
We also buy cat food packed in recyclable containers, and when changing our pets’ water bowls we use the old water for watering house plants.
Sunday, 31 May, 2009 at 11:59
I will admit me and my cats have not gone green yet, but reading these comments have given me some great ideas to put to use.
Sunday, 31 May, 2009 at 12:30
We have been recycling the food cans for years. We also use green cleaners, for the environment and for the health of our cats.
Sunday, 31 May, 2009 at 14:22
I think it’s important use a litter that is biodegradable or made of recycled paper products. The thing I found most interesting though is that they pointed out not only the importance of the litter, but the importance of the litter box itself. By buying a quality product that will last a long time, you not adding to landfills with many cheaper, or more poorly made boxes you frequently have to replace. I’d never thought about that before. Thanks.
Sunday, 31 May, 2009 at 18:52
We have 5, yes 5, cats that we have rescued over the years. We have used various litters. Our favorite is the pine litter that can be used in our gardens as mulch. I am ashamed to think of all of the clay litter in the local landfill that is there because of my brood before I knew better.
Sunday, 31 May, 2009 at 21:03
I just bought new cat litter today for my litter robot – The World’s Best Cat Litter. I am eager to see how well it works. I have been wanting to switch to this litter for a while now because it biodegradable as it is made from corn. Plus it is supposed to be low-tracking and safe for cats should they injest it while cleaning themselves.
Sunday, 31 May, 2009 at 22:13
This year we have our own small garden with a space for catnip. Sheba is the queen of the nip space. We would love this for her.
Sunday, 31 May, 2009 at 22:18
I tried going green by buying litter made from recycled newspaper. Unfortunately, my cats hated it and would not use it. I do use natural products (vinegar) when I clean the box.
Sunday, 31 May, 2009 at 22:22
We have 3 kitties and use the recycled litter. I always try to keep the litter clean without obsessively cleaning and wasting litter. We use reusable totes when we walk to the store around the corner for our cat food too! I make myself carry the heavy bags home and it saves the environment and makes me buff in the process! lol.
I wish there was a “green” cat food that I could buy at the grocery store near my house but there isn’t. I also make sure to recycle my love for my cats. It’s reusable and it is pollutant free!
Sunday, 31 May, 2009 at 22:32
Since we found out my daughter is allergic to almost everything including her cat I have been changing the litter box. This looks like a wonderful gift for me
Sunday, 31 May, 2009 at 22:53
I buy natural and organic and am going to try making some catfood. We support free tradee companies. We use green cleaners, for the environment and for the health of our cats. We recycle and reuse and use freecycle to give and get reusable items. I have a small patio garden with herbs, tomatoes, strawberries and lettaces ( and of course some catnip) And today I got a small compost bin.
Sunday, 31 May, 2009 at 23:09
My 2 cats and 1 dog are all rescue animals. I now buy my dog and cat food in the largest bag size I can get. I hope this cuts down on product packaging.I am currently researching the vast cat litter waste issue. That is how I found this site! Lastly, since I got my dog I walk ALOT more and more places we need to go. My husband will wait outside and I’ll do the shopping! It brings us all together. We also go to the local farmers market!
Sunday, 31 May, 2009 at 23:10
We scoop our litter daily, so that it will last longer.
Sunday, 31 May, 2009 at 23:27
My cats and I have been using all natural cat litter to try and help with the environment. It is difficult to think of ways to go green with your pets, so I am sure that there are many other ways as well.
One very important thing that I do, is I have all my pets spayed or neutered. That keeps the planet green by keeping unwanted pets from being in the world. It is a simple step that all pet owners should be doing.
Monday, 1 June, 2009 at 1:30
Zinkat and I try to be as environmentally conscious as we can be. Zin only eats organic grain-free cat foods. I scoop her litter-box often, to conserve litter. We use vinegar and baking soda to clean her litter-box. She does use litter made from recycled papers.
The home we live in has all unnecessary electrical appliances unplugged from outlets, water is not allowed to run unnecessarily, and all light bulbs are energy efficient. We limit chemicals as much as possible and use pyrex instead of plastic for food storage.
We live in the inner city, but grow tomatoes and strawberries in addition to a variety of herbs and plants for our use. We also have plants such as the spider plant to help clean our air.
Monday, 1 June, 2009 at 10:56
I have been trying more eco friendly litter lately, but haven’t found any the cats particulary like.
Monday, 1 June, 2009 at 12:40
wow that looks great right now im using regular cat litter and it really doesnt seem to environmentally friendly.i usually dump the box in the same spot in my yard but i dont think that can be good because now i have a big clay pile..i need to stop that
Monday, 1 June, 2009 at 13:30
I am writing in regards to the “Litter-Robot Celebrates Earth Day” article on your website and the Litter-Robot give away. First and foremoste, the way my two flamepoint siamese cats, Butch Cassidy and Colonel Mustard, and I have attempted to reduce environmental impact was by my adopting both cats (brothers) from a rescue agency. By doing this I am helping to eliminate the need for breeders and the pet stores that support them. By supporting animal shelters and resuce agencies, we help to reduce the amount of unwanted cats and unneccesary reproduction.
One method of recycling with my cats is to dispose of all their waste in plastic bags I have saved from shopping trips. This allows me to “reuse” and “reduce” landfill waste.
Monday, 1 June, 2009 at 18:34
We purchase the newspaper litter, Max likes the natural sunlight so we turn off all lights until the sun goes down and fill the house with natural light.
Monday, 1 June, 2009 at 20:25
i wanna win. i hope this is how u enter
Monday, 1 June, 2009 at 21:03
My cats, Tatches, Madball, and Angus love homemade cat toys. I just take scraps of fabric (from cutting things short, old curtains, etc) and fills them with catnip. Honestly, they seem to use the homemade ugly toys more then the store bought ones (probably because the smell like me) so not only is it good for the environment but it’s thrifty too!
Monday, 1 June, 2009 at 23:04
We have 1 year old Teddy Wentworth and 7 week old Poppet (middle name TBD at a later date!). Both cats came from individuals who has an abundance of kitties and could not care for all of them. They’re inside cats, but in order to save litter (and stench since it’s a normal litter box!) I take them outside some in the evenings and let them use the restroom in the yard while they play.
Going outside is a joy for all of us because it saves me time cleaning the litter box and the kitties get to play together in the grass!