Today is special though.

As part of the Together We Can Recycle campaign, Fancy Feast will donate $2 today (instead of just $1) for every recycling pledge they receive.

If you haven’t pledged to recycle your kitty’s wet food cans, do it now. It just takes a click! Also, please help spread the word on Twitter about the special donation offered today. I’m PeggyR in Twitterland.

I know what you may be thinking. Isn’t it better for the environment to just feed dry food instead of opening up all those cans? I’ve heard that argument several times, but it’s just not what’s best for kitty cat.

Felines aren’t natural water drinkers. They’d much rather eat a juicy mouse or other small prey in the wild. However, since they’re hanging out in your house, where it’s safe, they need help to get more water in their diet. That’s why my cat’s veterinarian said to feed wet food.

After my cat got sick from eating mostly a dry food diet a couple years ago, I’m a big believer in wet food for cats. Yet, those cans do add up. It’s most of what I take to recycling each week! And that’s exactly why it’s important for me to help lighten my cat’s paw prints on the earth by recycling and hopefully encouraging you to as well.

(cat paw image via sxc)

Recycle those pet food cans. Recycling is so easy, and it’s habit-forming (in a good way).

You can do it, and today — the 40th anniversary of Earth Day — is a wonderful time to start. Visit earth911.com for recycling locations near you.

Friskies® and Fancy Feast®, along with Keep America Beautiful®, are raising awareness about aluminum pet food can recycling, and they want you to take the Together We Can pledge to start making a difference. It’s just a simple click, no annoying forms, but you might also enjoy checking out the rest of the fun and informative website, TogetherWeCanRecycle.com.

Did you know that recycling one aluminum 3oz  pet food can saves enough energy to run a 60 watt light bulb for more than two hours? Those cans may be little, but they can make a big difference. Get more recycling facts. And for a bit of fun, check out the gallery of “cats” made from aluminum pet food cans!

The pet painting contest:

After you take the pledge to recycle your aluminum pet food cans, leave a comment on this post. (The pledge requires only a click, no forms!) The lucky winner will receive a beautiful custom oil painting of their family pet. Popular animal artist Alexis Trice will use the winner’s selected photo to create a 12” x 16” painting. Alexis has been featured in Dog Fancy magazine, City Rag and The New York Daily News.

Contest is open to US residents, and the winner must respond to my notification by email within three days. Please check your spam filters so you don’t miss out. Deadline to enter is 11 pm CST on Saturday, April 24, 2010. For more info on contests at Light Green Stairs, see disclosures.

(Cat image via flickr user aka Kath)

UPDATE 5/13: Congrats to the winner, Christina!