This book discusses the consumerism of pet-keeping in the Victorian era. Amato discusses animals kept as pets, animals in zoos, and the role of animals after they die. Animals were enmeshed in all aspects of the social lives of Victorians, from debates about morality, gender dynamics, racism and the materiality of dead organisms.

Human-animal studies has become a rapidly expanding field of research, featuring a number of distinct positions, perspectives, and theories. This book provides an overview of human-animal studies, focusing on the conceptual construction of animals in American culture, and considers interactions between humans and animals within the family, the law, the religious and political system, and other major social institutions. The author concludes with an analysis of major philosophical positions on human social policy and the future of human-animal relations.

A portrait of Americans' relationships with their pets. It begins with a natural history of animals as pets, then discusses the changing role of pets in family life, new standards of animal welfare, and the marketing of both animals and pet products, focusing on the period between 1840 and 1940, when the emotional, behavioral, and commercial characteristics of contemporary pet keeping were established. This book accompanied a museum exhibit, "Pets in America," at the McKissick Museum in Columbia, South Carolina, in December 2005..

This book highlights some of the animal-related discourses of the Victorian era. Ritvo addresses pet keeping and natural history, with discussions on topics such as stockbreeding, pedigreed exhibitions, animal fighting, zoological gardens, and various animal welfare organizations.