Green as a Thistle

Of course I didn’t fail Calc in high school, I just didn’t get an A. But far worse than that is getting a poor grade on this Ecological Footprint Quiz, which doesn’t seem to care at all that I switched to recycled paper towel and corn-based kitty litter. It appears that by simply living on my ownsome and driving a car, I’m totally screwing things up. I can’t even tell you guys my score, it’s just too depressing. Anyone want to move in and give me piggyback rides to work?

Here, take the test, see if you can do any better. And feel free to comment below with how many planet Earths we’d need if everyone lived like you.

http://www.ecofoot.org/

There’s a reason Lewis Carroll used the British Blue as a model for the Cheshire Cat in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland: this breed can be downright evil. If I forget to give Sophie her Feline Greenies treats (Nantucket Bay Scallop flavour) before I leave in the morning, I can expect to come home and find strategically placed poop either on the rug or, if her cranky pants are really chafing, on the bed.

Recently, however, she’s been good, and I think part of the reason is that I switched her litter for a greener variety. For a while I was using the standard clumping clay stuff, which is apparently akin to letting your cat smoke a pack of Gauloises a day. Then I switched to the silica pebbles, but they kept tracking and were almost sharp enough to draw blood if you stepped on them.

So then I tried World’s Best Cat Litter — which I thought was a fairly presumptuous title — but hey, it earns it. Made from whole-kernel corn, it’s safe enough to ingest (in case you’re running low on groceries or something), clumps perfectly, has a soft texture, barely tracks, is biodegradable, dust-free and scent-free. Seriously, you should just marry this litter, without a prenup.

Prices vary; I got mine for about $16, which seems a little steep, but a little goes a long way and, in the end, if it means I don’t have to come home every night to stinky droppings of wrath on my bed, it’s worth it.

Also, Thistle reader Carissa sent me an e-mail about Swheat Scoop litter, which is made from wheat and has the same benefits — plus a cuter name. Maybe you could even mix the two and call it muesli.