Eco-Journal: Animals

For my Environmental Ethics class I am keeping an Eco-journal about 5 main topics: cars, food, animals, energy use, and the Louisville environment.

Do you own one or more pets? Yes; two cats and one 20 lb. dog
About how much do you spend on them? Total: about $35/month.

How much of what they consume is made of animal matter? The cat food is very high in protein (36% chicken), while the dog food is a blend of meat (30% lamb) and rice. The doggie treats we buy are made from various fruits and sweetened with molasses.


What percentage of your meals includes animal products, and of what sorts? About 10% of my personal meals include animal products, such as milk, eggs, cheese. I rarely eat meat because I am commonly unaware of the source. But I'm very surprised to realize that although I am not directly contributing to factory farming, I am indirectly through my pets. I guess the solution would be to buy dog and cat food from local, humane suppliers. I bet they have some companies like that in Sacramento, California.

How about your clothing, your car, etc.? Most of my leather products are bought second-hand. For example, I have a leather messenger bag, leather boots, and a leather belt. When I was 16 years old I was vegan for 6 months and during that time I learned that it was very difficult to be truly vegan because there are animals products in many things, like computers, bubble gum, felt, and old pianos.

What is your relationship to animal testing? I don't know enough about the subject to have an informed opinion.
Do you visit the zoo? Yes. My grandmother used to take me very often as a child.
Have you hit squirrels with your bike? No.

Do you hunt? Not currently. But when I was a child, I would sometimes go fishing with my grandparents.
Do you rescue wildlife? No.
Does your relationship to animals make sense to you? Yes. Humans have bred certain animals to depend on them for food, shelter, etc. My pets are like my children and I deeply enjoy my time with them. I take the time to learn about dog psychology in order to better communicate with him about the rules of the house.
Does it reflect an ethic to which you want to be committed? Yes.