In these times, you might be staying home more than ever, and that can be daunting and be pretty boring sometimes. So instead of browsing Facebook, Instagram, and other time-consuming websites, why not doing something productive for the animals in the comfort of your own home?
I will in this article give 27 ideas of things you do for animals from home – room by room.
1. Building a leaf pile
Building a leaf pile is a great way for so many reasons. Smaller animals thrive in leaf piles. Even the tiniest microorganisms love to sit on the leaves and eat. Instead of burning the leaves and throwing them, you can provide homes for thousands of animals.
You might have visitors sometimes who want to rent your pile. Hedgehogs and amphibians like to hibernate and rest in leaf piles. The most important thing is to not disturbing it and keep it safe.
If you live in an apartment and don’t get visited that often by hedgehogs or frogs, you can still have a leaf pile on your balcony. An easy way to get started is to pick up some leaves in garbage bags. Heave in the leaves in a laundry basket. (Preferably with a lid). The leaves need to be able to breathe. Don’t worry about attracting insects and microorganisms. They followed you home inside the garbage bag.
🕷 Be aware! If you are afraid of insects – use gloves when collecting the leaves.
2. Install an insect hotel
Insect hotels are super popular, don’t take up much space, and help biodiversity greatly. Insects living in hotels can be anything from ladybugs, bees, butterflies, and other small individuals. Many insects’ natural habitat has disappeared due to changes in the environment. This is a way to help them find a place to live and a place to seek refuge.
There are different types of ways to install an insect hotel.
The regular insect hotel
The most popular kind of insect hotel is the prebuilt one you can easily mount on the wall. They are usually made to welcome multiple kinds of insects. I’ve been using Navarari’s for a long time, and both the insects and I are pleased.
The best way to install the hotel is to make it face south. That way, it will be exposed to sunlight which bees prefer if there’s a light shade; that’s ok too.
Building a pinecone complex
Ladybugs and other smaller insects love to rest and seek shelter in pinecones. Ladybugs, as you may know, feast on aphids and other small pests. If you want to get rid of aphids, pinecones are your friend.
You can decorate your patio with baskets with pinecones. You can decorate the basket with twigs, flowers, and other decorative things. The ladybugs will find your cones. Pinecones are a great addition to a regular insect hotel and don’t require any maintenance.
💡 Be aware! Birds and squirrels are also interested in pinecones. Birds know there can be delicious insects inside the cone. Protect the cones from birds and squirrels. If you buy an insect hotel – ensure there is a fence covering the pinecones.
Build a logpile for the insects
Log piles are a great way to invite insects and help them to rest. The logs can also be a great place for hibernation, depending on where you place them.
Balcony:
When you live in an apartment, you might be limited in what you can do for the animals. But building a log pile can be done minimalistically. When you think of logs, you might think of 14″ to 16″ pieces of wood. They don’t need to be so big in this case. If you are in a limited space on your balcony, you can dedicate the shadiest spot on the balcony for a log pile. You can use a box as a frame and holder for the logs; that way, they won’t roll off. An old shoebox works great as a frame.
Garden:
When you dedicate a place in your garden for a pile of logs, I suggest a semi-shady place, not close to living trees or shrubs. The logs are dying and may attract bacteria which can spread to your living trees and bushes.
🐸 In case you have a pond and have frogs living there, a pile of logs makes an excellent place for hibernation. If you are interested in attracting frogs to your garden or maybe building a hibernaculum for them, you might want to read my article on how to attract frogs to your garden.
3. Install a birdhouse
This might not be for people living in rental apartments with a balcony. There are usually regulations about installing birdhouses on your balcony since the landlords don’t enjoy cleaning up after the birds. But it doesn’t hurt to ask your landlord.
For people who own a garden, installing a birdhouse to seek refuge and shelter is a great way to help the bird population. Not only do they help birds, but you will get help with pests ruining your flowers and crops.
The birdhouse should be facing away from prevailing winds. The most common direction to face birdfeeders in the US is east. You can build your own, but there are some inexpensive ones at Amazon you might like.
4. Install a bird feeder
Not all landlords allow their residents to put up a bird feeder. Not even the ones you stick to your windows with suction cups. Contact your landlord before, and check if it’s allowed. Landlords usually prohibit birdfeeders on balconies and windows due to the mess the birds make.
When selecting a bird feeder, it’s good to know:
- Where to install it
- How big it should be
- What to fill it with
Where do I install the bird feeder?
The best place to hung a bird feeder is where the bird feels the safest from predators. The best height is eye-level and where neither squirrels nor cats can reach them. Both cats and squirrels can climb trees and get to them from above. Therefore, it’s better to hang it on a wall where they can’t reach it. Another option is to install it on a pole and have it 5-6 feet from the ground, far from trees.
Avoid hanging them too close to windows since birds sometimes fly right into them. Give at least 3 feet of space between the feeder and the window—more about windows and bird safety later in tip number 8.
Wallmounted brackets are great when installing a bird feeder. I use this one which is great since it’s sturdy and can easily be adjusted.
How big should the bird feeder be?
The size of the birdfeeder is determined by the birds you wish to attract. If you know you only have smaller birds visiting, a cylindrical feeder might be the one you want. A sturdier might be the best choice for larger birds like the blue jay or cardinal visiting. But if you are using a wall mount like this, both sizes are fine.
What to fill the bird feeder with?
What you fill the bird feeder with is determined by what birds you wish to attract. If you know what birds live in your area but don’t know what to feed them, I made a table with the 20 most common birds and their favorite foods here. A bag of wild bird seed mix is usually fine and makes most birds happy.
🐦 There are some foods you should never feed birds. You might want to check that out.
5. Grow plants to help various animals
Growing plants is relaxing, joyful, and beneficial for you and the animals nearby—the microorganisms living in the soil like it. The bees and butterflies that fertilize the plants like it, and you will like it.
Depending on what your goal is when growing plants, some plants work better than others. A great beginner kit with many different seeds that attract bees, butterflies, and birds can be found here.
Flowers to attract bees and butterflies:
- Agastache
- Alyssum
- Asclepias
- Aster
- Echinacea
- Geranium
- Monarda
- Papaver
Flowers to attract birds:
- Aster
- Black-Eyed Susan
- Coneflower
- Cornflower
- Daisy
- Marigold
- Sunflower
- Virginia Creeper
Flowers to attract dragonflies:
- Black-Eyed Susan
- Rudbeckia Hira
- Swamp Milkweed
- Joe-Pye Weed
6. Remove dust from plants
It’s easy to forget the plants when you are doing the cleaning chores. You make sure the plants have water, but do you think of removing the dust from the leaves?
Dust can block sunlight and hinder photosynthesis. It also absorbs less CO2 and toxins. A dusty plant might also produce less oxygen.
So, next time – go nuts with the feather duster on your plants too.
7. Install a moth light
Even the biggest animal lover can be exhausted when moths fly indoors in search of a light source. Why not dedicate an outside lamp for the moths and other animals that are attracted to the light?
Instead of running around in your house and trying to make the moths realize they belong outside, a lightbulb outside may do the trick. Moths play a valuable role in the ecosystem. Moths pollinate flowers, but they are also food for insects, spiders, frogs, bats, and birds.
I don’t say you should buy a moth zapper that kills them, but instead, add a light source that keeps them entertained to benefit the ecosystem better.
8. Tape your windows for birds
Sometimes birds fly into windows. Sadly, most of them die – but in some cases, the bird is only knocked out for a while. The reason why birds fly into windows is that they see plants and vegetation in the reflection. Clean windows trick the bird into flying into them and can be avoided.
You can tape your windows with white or bright tape like prison bars. Birds avoid such small gaps and don’t try to fly through. CollidEscape is an expert at this and makes a great tape for your windows that doesn’t look cheap or awful.
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9. Go Vegan
The best thing you can do for the animals is to not eat them. Vegans save several animals each year and don’t contribute to the animal industry, causing harm and death to billions of animals each year.
It’s easy to veganize your foods by simply exchanging meat, dairy, and egg for something plant-based.
The road to going vegan is different for everyone. Many people start by meat-free Monday and add more days gradually. Others remove one animal at a time from their diet until there aren’t any left. Others start by veganize their favorite dishes with plant-based options instead of animal-sourced. There’s a thing called Veganuary, which helps people transition to a vegan lifestyle during a month. If you ever wanted to reduce your meat consumption and other animal sources, you want to try Veganuary. It’s completely free, and you will receive help along the way.
10. Start a local bakery or food delivery service
If you love cooking, this one is for you! This list is made to help you be able to help animals from your home. You might wonder how you can start a delivery service from your own home. I will explain.
Imagine you live in an apartment complex with a lot of neighbors. The neighbors need to eat, and food delivery has never been more popular in these times. Why not put up a flyer in the staircase or elevator that you are open for business? You can ask your neighbors what they would like to see on the menu and create a simple way for them to order from you. Maybe order through a text or a call? If Mr. Stevenson on the second floor likes pizza, why not add “Stevensons Pizza” on the menu and let the others be able to order it.
You will need to be able to cook everything on the menu, though. Think this one through before you start something.
Another way can be a candy delivery service. Instead of people going to the store to buy candy, you can be the Candyman and deliver their favorite candy right to their doorsteps only minutes after they ordered it. When you tell them the profits go to a charity, they will eat the candy with a good conscience and more often.
11. Start an indoor compost
Composting is great for the environment and will help more animals than you think. The microorganisms in the compost thrive on the greens and browns you put in, and back you will get perfect soil.
For people living in an apartment without a balcony, it can be hard to get started. Bokashi makes it much easier. Bokashi composting is really popular and is still on the rise. It’s an easy way to start compost under your sink and gives you excellent soil for your plants. Check the video below from Epic Gardening, where they explain more about Bokashi. Here’s a link to a kit to get you started with Bokashi.
12. Choose organic foods
Another great way to help animals is to choose organic food when you are shopping. Plant and animal husbandry must be balanced so that the animals primarily eat feed from their own farm, and the manure is used to provide nutrition for their own arable land. An organic farm with animal husbandry thus functions as a cycle, where all the farm’s resources are used efficiently. Organic food invites biodiversity and contributes to more valuable plants, insects, and bird species – nature feels good from organic farming! Without chemical pesticides, thanks to the cultivation of various crops in the fields and with grazing animals, organic farms have 30 percent higher biodiversity compared to non-organic ones.
You should buy organic bananas, coffee, grapes, apples, nectarines, cucumbers, dairy products, meat, potatoes, and cocoa. These products contain the largest amount of pesticides if they are not organically produced.
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13. Social media sharing
An easy way to grow awareness in today’s society is to share information online. Almost everyone has an online persona on at least one of the bigger social media sites, and with two clicks, the information you want to share is in their feed. An easy way to get started is to share this article with friends and family. Feel free to subscribe to our Youtube channel with more helpful tips on how to help animals.
To help the algorithms, it’s important to like animal-friendly content. When you give a video a like on Youtube, you signal to the algorithm that it is good content and share it with more people. In return, Youtube will recommend more videos to you in the same niche.
Another way to spread awareness is to check in on the larger organization’s websites and share their news.
14. Report animal abuse online
Sadly, animal abuse is still an issue, and it’s viral. I don’t know how often I’ve seen animal abuse in Youtube shorts, and don’t get me started on TikTok. It’s important to report every case you see. There are channels dedicated to pouring melted tin into anthills, for example. Some channels are abusive to dogs to make “a fun sketch.” Click on the report button to notify the social media network to take action. Ask your friends and family to do the same.
How to report animal abuse on Youtube
- Click the three dots below the video you wish to report.
- Click “Report”.
- Select “Violent or repulsive content”.
- Seleect “Animal abuse”.
- Click “Next”
Done! Good job!
15. Start an eCommerce
Starting a website and webshop has never been easier. The only hard thing is to know what to sell. If you don’t know what to sell, here are some tips.
- Something you’ve knitted
- Pearler beads patterns you’ve made
- Cool t-shirts
- Homemade jewelry
- Custom made face masks
- Keychains
- eBook
There are multiple easy ways to set up an eCommerce business. WooCommerce and Shopify are the most popular, and with WordPress as the engine running it, it’s easy to get started. Make sure to brand it as all profits go to help animals, and people will be willing to pay more. Below is a video on how to get started.
16. Start a fundraiser
It’s easy to do start a fundraiser. Both Facebook and Instagram support this now, and it only takes a couple of minutes to get started.
If you set a goal and show it to your viewers, they will be more intrigued to help you achieve that goal. Another way to get people to donate is to give them back. One way is to exchange “I do one push up for every dollar,” for example. Make sure to show your pushups so the donator doesn’t feel taken for a ride.
- Be open how much money you need to raise. Show it publicly.
- Choose a platform (Instagram, Facebook, GoFundMe etc).
- Be honest when you explain why believe in the charity.
- Share the fundraiser with both family and your friends.
- Always show appreciation for every donation.
17. Go for a Google Maps walk and contact companies
I like this very much. In Google Maps street view, you can click your way through your streets. Why not check the local restaurant’s menu? Do they lack vegetarian or vegan options? If so, why not contact them and ask them about it? Never be rude – the goal is to make them make a change, not make them angry.
Things you can ask restaurants:
- Are they using eggs from free-range?
- Are there any plans on vegan options?
- What are their policies about food waste? Do they compost?
- Are they using organic groceries?
The companies usually have a contact form on their site you can use. Why not go for a walk today in your neighborhood?
18. Change your e-mail signature
If you are using e-mail, you may have seen this before. Below their Best regards, Name Surname, they have a sentence raising awareness for a cause. Why not raise awareness for the animals?
An example of this can be:
Best wishes,
Daniel Larson
🐯 Tigers are near extinction. Only 3,900 tigers are remaining in the wild. If you want to help, donate to WWF.org.
If you are using Gmail, you can create a signature here.
Let the fantasy run wild and make a signature for a cause you really care about.
Please note that your company usually requires a specific e-mail signature. But for your private e-mail address, you are free to use any signature you want.
19. Hint in Microsoft Teams or Zoom calls
Are you still working or studying from home and require to be on camera from time to time? Why not add a subtle hint about caring for animals?
In most meetings, you can add a custom background wallpaper. Why not put a custom wallpaper with cute animals or a cool picture of an endangered animal? I’m sure you will be asked about it and can raise awareness about it.
When I’m in Zoom or Teams calls, I have a banner hanging behind me with a message. It usually hangs on the wall, and I take the call in front of it just to raise awareness. I always get a PM after the meeting asking about the banner.
You can buy the flag here.
20. Contact animal shelters and ask what they need
Animal shelters are usually run by volunteers and need all the help we can give them. Even though you are stuck at home, there are still things you can do for animal shelters. You just need to contact them and ask what they need.
Things you can do for animal shelters from your home:
- Surprise them with a free pizza delivery. (Check to see if there are any allergies to avoid before ordering and if it’s ok)
- Do they need supplies? Does Rover need a blanket? Are Buddy’s favorite toy in need of repair? Cleaning supplies?
- Donating stuff your pet doesn’t like anymore. (Can they can come and get it?)
- Start a pledge for your local animal shelter and share amongst friends.
- Are you tech-savvy and can help them with their website or social media?
💡 We have an article how you can invite animals to your garden and let them help you. Read more here.
21. Foster for an animal
Animals that wait for adoption need a place to stay, and your home can be that place. Even if you can’t commit to taking care of an animal for 10-20 years, you can foster animals temporarily. Often it’s for a couple of weeks, and different animals need help—cats, dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs, etc.
- Cats & Dogs: Read more and sign an application for AnimalHouseShelter here.
- Rabbits: Read more and sign an application for Rabbit.org here.
- Rabbits, Guinea pigs and smaller: Read more and sign an application for Heartland here.
22. Be kind to all animals
Sometimes animals accidentally found themselves in your house. They want to be outside in their natural habitat, but in some weird way, they managed to get into your home. It can be a confused bumblebee or a frightened spider that’s visiting. Instead of smashing it with a newspaper, why not make an effort and return them to the outside?
If you are afraid of spiders, you can use gloves and trap them inside a cup. Gently release it outside again.
Flying animals needs two things from you—an open window and patience with them.
23. Donate stock photos of your pet
If you have a pet, there’s a demand for pictures of them, regardless of species and their cuteness.
There are some different ways you and your pet can help.
Donate the photos to charities
If you have some favorite charities, they might be interested in free images. Instead of them buying expensive stock photos from a website, they can use yours for free. Reach out to your charities, animal shelters, and similar and ask if they are interested. Perhaps they need a custom-made one?
Upload your photos to a stock photo site and ask for credit
Some image sites have pictures you can use however you want, but they require you to mention the photographer. Why not photograph under a pseudonym and ask them to credit “Go vegan” or “Save the orangutans” instead of your actual name.
Upload your photos and sell them on a stock photo website
Some websites allow photographers to upload entire galleries and sell them multiple times for a one-time fee. Why not make a photo session with your pet and donate all profit to charity?
24. Don’t throw stuff in the toilet
Sadly, much more stuff than what should end up in the toilet finds its place there. Some people have a habit of throwing dental floss into the toilet. According to Boulden Brothers, dental floss clog the pipes but also turns into a net when flushed. The net catches and holds onto other debris and can be very harmful to the environment.
Some people even flush down expired medication, which can cause toxic environmental effects.
25. Use cruelty-free products
When you are choosing cruelty-free products, you vote with your wallet. You are telling companies you are not willing to support animal testing. For a beauty product to be sold in China, it needs to be tested on animals. So if your brand is sold in China, you know it has been tested on animals and should be boycotted.
- Here’s a link to a list of companies that test on products.
- Here’s a link to a list of cruelty-free companies.
Check for any of the following images on the packaging:
26. Use environmentally-friendly products
Before you are purchasing your makeup and hygiene products, do your research. When you choose environmentally-friendly products, you say yes to public health, no to pollution and contamination, and yes to a better future.
When you buy a new product, check for the Energy Star, USDA Organic Seal, Forest Stewardship Council, or the Green Seal on the packaging.
27. Donate or sell stuff you don’t need
Over the years, it’s easy to gather a lot of stuff. If you have a storage room, it’s even easier. Spend a weekend and go through everything you have stored in the attic, garage, or wardrobe you haven’t used for a while.
You can check with local animal shelters or animal sanctuaries if they need anything.
Put it on Craigslist and let the money roll in.
