For the holidays this year, consider eco-friendly bedding
for your pets. (And for yourself—a subject for another posting.)
Your pets probably spent a lot of time in their beds. If
they are sleeping on most synthetic products, they are probably breathing in
and absorbing through their skin toxic chemicals. The petrochemicals found in
pets’ beds outgas for years.
Synthetic bedding came be made up of a combination of
materials—and that is where the real problem lies. It is estimated that the
scores of potentially harmful chemicals in our homes can be up to sixteen
hundred times more potent when combined. Yet, no one knows for sure, as the
outcome of mixing chemicals has barely been tested.
Green bedding is often more expensive than synthetic, but if
you choose wisely, it will last for years. My foster, Sam, came with a cheapie
synthetic bed that ripped after several washings. Not only is buying a poorly
made bed a waste of money—constant replacement ends up exceeding the cost of a
well-made bed—but the bed will end up in landfill, where it will leach
chemicals for years.
Fortunately, there are now many stores that sell non-toxic
bedding, or you can make your own. Look for natural fibers such as organic
cotton or organic wool, hemp and man-made materials that do not outgas like
Sunbrella fabrics for bed covers. For the fill, good choices include natural
latex (rubber), buckwheat, wool and recycled non-toxic materials like soda bottles.
I make beds for my dogs. They last for years and rarely need
to be replaced—and then, only the covers have worn out. Currently, my Pugs,
Cobi and Ferdi, share a double bed made of two shredded latex queen size
pillows sewn together, with a pure wool cover that closes with a zipper. Note:
buy 30% more wool than needed to cover pillows, and then wash in hot water.
This will shrink the wool and you can then safely wash it again with no further
shrinkage. Shredded latex—rubber—is great because if there is an accident, the
pillows can be washed. It is also very comfortable for the dogs and they love
them. Their other bed is a single pillow made of buckwheat and covered with
Sunbrella fabric. (The photo above is the double pillow bed with Cobi, and Ferdi and their foster sister, Penelope, behind them.)
One other tip—make sure that the cover is removable and washable
or that the entire bed can be washed. Every two weeks, I wash our bedding and
theirs and the boys get a bath. (The boys sleep with us—I want clean boys!) This
helps keep everyone smelling fresh and clean and helps with the shedding.
Pet Beds:
www.purerest.com. (Pillows
and bedding for humans and pets) Love their stuff! Use their organic wool comforter,
mattress topping, rubber pillows. Not cheap but the best I have ever used! (BTW…wool
is amazing to sleep with because it keeps you warm and wicks away moisture.)
