It's Party Time!

Mee & Dee are full of useful tips, and this post on greening your cleaning is no exception. Many common household cleaners are full of nasty chemicals that are bad for pets, and people too! There are lots of better ways to keep things tidy, from safer brands to do-it-yourself formulas.

It's spring! That means lots of time spent playing outside... and lots of opportunities to pick up fleas and ticks. But what do you do when your flea and tick treatments are full of toxic chemicals? The Cat/Dog Log has lots of tips for staying flea-free, the all-natural way.

Deanna at Animal Communication has not one but TWO posts in honor of National Pet Week. The first is full of ways to make sure your pet will be returned to you if lost. The second deals with rising rates of cancer in pets: it might seem overwhelming, she says, but her goal is to "encourage you to get educated, from reliable sources, and then make mindful, conscious choices about what you and your pets eat, drink, breathe and absorb through the skin." Sounds like a plan to me!

What to do with poo? Johann the dog says, flush it! Or compost it, or at least put it in a biodegradable bag, okay?

Shermakaye is spreading the word about pets and toxics on Green Right Now. Thanks, Shermakaye!

One wild soap maker is making olive oil soap especially for dogs -- and spreading the word about Pets for the Environment.

Looking for something to do with all that leftover dog hair? As usual, Allie has answers! I wonder if you could make a doggie sweater out of doggie fur? I know a chihuahua I could make a donation to...

Your Life, Organized has some great advice about pet food, including avoiding anything that lists by-product as an ingredient.

You left some great tips in the comments, too -- here's a run-down:

"Stand up and speak for those that can't. Donate what you can to help our furry friends. Time, money, a little effort, heck, even wearing a t-shirt to bring awareness to the general public about a animal cause you feel strongly about. I wear my " no puppy mills" or " don't breed or buy while shelter pets die" t-shirts on a regular basis. Especially when the local pet shop is advertising a puppy sale. What better time to slip on the t-shrits and go for a stroll through the pet shop while people are looking to buy puppies!!" -LULU

"Replace plastic pet bowls with stainless steel or a safe ceramic (make sure it is lead free). We use pyrex. Plastic can give off vapors and it can be hard to clean (bacteria can hide in those little scratches). Clean your pet's bowls every day -- we use baking soda, white vinegar and hot water." -Carolyn and Maggie

"There are a lot of pet foods out there that are good for animals and safe and non toxic, but they are more expensive. We need to find a way to get more nutritious and safer food into the mainstream- just like human food. The safe food shouldn't be more expensive! IT SHOULD BE WHAT WE ARE ALL USING!!!!" -Anonymous

"For an inexpensive and safe alternative, try Apple Cider Vinegar both in your pet's food or water daily and as an after-shampoo rinse. I googled "ACV dog dose" and came up with [this link]. [Here is] Another site I found that has dosages for all kinds of animals. Besides flea and tick control, there are tons of other uses for ACV." -Donna and Lacey Bell

Thanks for all your great submissions and comments! It's great to know that there are so many pets and people out there working to protect pet health.