In my article, 7 Ways Rabbits are Eco-Friendly Pets, I point out ways in which rabbits are innately eco-friendly, like their naturally vegan diet and their compostable poop. You can even ramp up your rabbit’s eco-friendliness by growing your own rabbit food and buying hay direct from a local farmer.

If these ideas appeal to you, you can delve further into the topic with a new book out now by journalist and animal advocate Darcy Matheson called Greening Your Pet Care: Reduce Your Animal’s Carbon Paw Print.

Early on in the book, Matheson provides a compelling argument about why we should consider and address our pets’ environmental impact:

The carbon footprint of our family pets is poised to grow exponentially in coming years. The number of household pets has more than doubled in the US since the 1970s, says the Humane Society, and tens of millions of North Americans now share their homes — and lives — with animals.

Covering ideas such as shopping locally, buying in bulk, and making your own household (and pet-safe) cleaners, Matheson starts off with eco-friendly actions that can be applied to any pet care situation. In subsequent chapters, she dives into specifics for dogs, cats, rabbits, small animals, mini pigs, birds, reptiles & amphibians, and fish. The rabbit chapter has expert advice from rabbit rescue founders, rabbit-savvy vets, and, if you take a gander at the gardening and composting sections, you might see a quote or two from yours truly.

Greening your pet care may seem like a difficult challenge at first. But Matheson breaks down the different steps in a very intuitive and encouraging manner. If you would like to learn more or purchase the book, see:

• Darcy Matheson’s website
• Self-Counsel Press website
• Buy on Amazon

And now for some exciting news! Self-Counsel Press is giving away a copy of Greening Your Pet Care to one lucky My House Rabbit fan. Enter the contest using the Rafflecopter widget below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The contest ends on Sunday, May 22, 11:59pm EST and is open to residents of the continental United States and Canada only.  

We want to hear from you! What do you think about eco-friendly pet care? Is it something you would consider? Have you already taken steps to reduce your pet’s carbon paw print? Tell us in the comments below!