'When I play with my cat, who knows if I am not a pastime to her more than she is to me?' - Michel de Montaigne. Why do we live with pets? Is there something more to our relationship with them than simply companionship? What is it we look for in our pets and what does this say about us as human beings? In this fascinating book, Erica Fudge explores the nature of this most complex of relationships and the difficulties of knowing what it is that one is living with when one chooses to share a home with an animal. Fudge argues that our capacity for compassion and ability to live alongside others is evident in our relationships with our pets, those paradoxical creatures who give us a sense of comfort and security while simultaneously troubling the categories human and animal. For what is a pet if it isn't a fully-fledged member of the human family? This book proposes that by crossing over these boundaries pets help construct who it is we think we are. Drawing on the works of modern writers, such as J. M. Coetzee, Elizabeth Marshall Thomas and Jacques Derrida, Fudge shows how pets have been used to think with and to undermine our easy conceptions of human, animal and home. Indeed, "Pets" shows our obsession with domestic animals that reveals many of the paradoxes, contra - dictions and ambiguities of life. Living with pets provides thought-provoking perspectives on our notions of possession and mastery, mutuality and cohabitation, love and dominance. We might think of pets as simply happy, loved additions to human homes but as this captivating book reveals perhaps it is the pets that make the home and without pets perhaps we might not be the humans we think we are. For anyone who has ever wondered, like Montaigne, what their cat is thinking, it will be illuminating reading.

Sure, sometimes dog and owner look astonishingly similar - but sometimes there's a celebrity in a poodle, too! Anyone who loves pets and has a soft spot for glossy magazines will find their passions perfectly combined in this unique photo book from the cult label Pets Rock. Pets Rock discovers the celebrities in our four-legged friends. Dogs, cats, guinea pigs, pigs and more are photographed in a species-appropriate manner and then receive their digital makeover into a mini celebrity, right down to the hairstyle and accessories. Roll out the red carpet for animal royals, rappers, rock stars and film icons! Text in English, German and French.

When her beloved small dog died, Bel Mooney was astonished at the depth of her ongoing sorrow. Sharing her loss online and in a newspaper article brought a deluge of responses, spurring Bel to explore these feelings further. Why do humans mourn pets? Can animals themselves grieve - and do they have souls? In Goodbye, Pet & See You in Heaven, Bel sets off on an emotional journey to learn more about pet bereavement. She is astounded by inexplicable 'signs' of her dog's spirit, watches Bonnie's ashes being turned into glass, talks to experts and discusses the mysterious enduring energy of love. She discovers why Ancient Egyptians mummified animals and what different faiths, myths, writers and scientists have to say. She also looks back over her own life and reflects on lessons learned from companion animals - and from wildlife too. As informative as it is deeply moving, Goodbye, Pet is an intensely personal, uplifting look at the love we share with pets, both in life and afterwards. Enriched by heartfelt stories and inspirational words, it is a book to be treasured by anyone who has ever loved an animal.

Originally published London, 1934. A fascinating insight into the art of faking poultry for show or exhibition winning purposes. Contents Include: Faking and its Problems - The Psychology of Faking - Modern Tendencies in Faking - The Detection of Faking - The Techniques of Faking - Dying Plumage - Bleaching Plumage - Faking Leg Colour - Inserting and Extracting Feathers - Faking Lobes - Colouring Eggs - Dyes Employed - Chemicals Used in Faking - etc. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. Home Farm Books are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

Well-loved vet Dr Roy Aronson shares some of his weirdest and most wonderful experiences with domestic pets and wild animals. From treating a rhino that ran head first into a zoo wall to sidestepping the fierce fangs of a so-called wolf dog, he remains committed to healing his patients. He relies on years of experience, gut instinct and when necessary, he'll even call in the help of medical doctors.

Chickens are many things: sources of meat and eggs, lovable pets, amusing images on merchandise, and a source of comfort at the end of a hard day. Whether we're considering joining the growing flock of backyard chicken-keepers or simply cheered by leafing through images of gorgeous poultry, our love for chickens is strong. The trend for backyard chickens has surged during the pandemic. Amazon searches for chick supplies are up 758%, with local hatcheries recording a 500% demand increase, as people look to reduce environmental impact, improve food traceability, connect with nature, or simply to relish the pure joy of chicken company. The Collins Backyard Chicken-keeper's Bible is the fourth title in this stunning and engaging series, and the perfect smallholder companion to The Beekeeper's Bible. It is packed with everything you need to fully embrace your new chicken-keeping lifestyle. A sumptuous aesthetic is paired with practical tips on identifying backyard breeds and supporting good chicken health, from basic brooding to common ailments, the best backyard breed for you to the right equipment for starting your own home flock, packaged into a beautiful, illustrative gift book. Discover the soft cuddliness of a bantam Silkie, the superb egg-sitting skills of a Plymouth Rock, the best method for constructing a chicken coop, and how to keep your chickens happy and thriving. With The Collins Backyard Chicken-keeper's Bible, discover more about these magnificent and beloved creatures.

Catology explores the bizarre and very funny world of feline science. Vital questions answered include: Why do cats have a secret second nose? Why don't cats fart (but dogs do)? Do cats feel guilt, love, happiness or jealousy? Why are cats' tongues covered in microscopic hooks? Do cats always land on their feet? Why are cats so scared of cucumbers? Why do cats purr both when happy and when distressed? How do you interpret cat language? Packed with fascinating facts, quirky scientific revelations and weird stories about our furry friends, Catology offers a secret glimpse inside the feline body and mind.

A delightful treasure trove of tips on how to hold animals without hurting them. Should you hold a mouse by its tail? A grasshopper by its leg? A butterfly by its wing? How do you pick up a prickly hedgehog? A slithering snake? A hissing cat? Most of us don't have nearly enough experience of being around animals. We feel a bit apprehensive when it comes to touching them. Maybe we're scared we'll hurt them, or that they'll hurt us. That is a huge shame, because connecting with animals is a magical life skill that can make you feel at peace and aligned with nature. Luckily, animal photographer and former zookeeper Toshimitsu Matsuhashi is here to give you advice and show you the very best way to care for the animals in our lives, from beetles to hamsters and from chickens to dogs. Fully illustrated with fascinating information (did you know that you should go for the smaller rather than the bigger horn when you pick up a stag beetle?), How To Hold Animals leaves no stone unturned and teaches us all how to be kind to the animals around us.

The founder and president of PETA, Ingrid Newkirk, and bestselling author Gene Stone explore the wonders of animal life with "admiration and empathy" (The New York Times Book Review) and offer tools for living more kindly toward them. In the last few decades, a wealth of new information has emerged about who animals are: astounding beings with intelligence, emotions, intricate communications networks, and myriad abilities. In Animalkind, Ingrid Newkirk and Gene Stone present these findings in a concise and awe-inspiring way, detailing a range of surprising discoveries, like that geese fall in love and stay with a partner for life, that fish "sing" underwater, and that elephants use their trunks to send subsonic signals, alerting other herds to danger miles away. Newkirk and Stone pair their tour through the astounding lives of animals with a guide to the exciting new tools that allow humans to avoid using or abusing animals as we once did. Whether it's medicine, product testing, entertainment, clothing, or food, there are now better options to all the uses animals once served in human life. We can substitute warmer, lighter faux fleece for wool, choose vegan versions of everything from shrimp to marshmallows, reap the benefits of animal-free medical research, and scrap captive orca exhibits and elephant rides for virtual reality and animatronics. Animalkind provides a fascinating look at why our fellow living beings deserve our respect, and lays out the steps everyone can take to put this new understanding into action.

Bird dog performance events may not be what many people believe they are. This book takes the reader behind the scenes across the span of two years campaigning. The author reports from chapter to chapter on the progress of two dogs, one already a field champion, the other a dog just getting started in field trials. More importantly, each chapter examines various elements of field trialing not directly connected to the dogs. Most of these elements are common to all breeds of bird dog performance events whether they be the pointing dogs, the flushers or the retrievers. This book looks at the interplay between the clubs sponsoring the events and wildlife managers responsible for the grounds on which they are held. It looks at the friendships and conflicts between dog handlers. This book also looks at the elation of winning field trials, but shows the follies which occur as well, and much more. If you are a hard core field trial handler you will nod your head as you read saying to yourself, boy if that isn't the truth. If you have never been to a bird dog performance event and have wondered what they are really about, this will tell you the story.

The incredible, moving and hilarious story of Cheeta the Chimp, simian star of the big screen, on a behind-the-scenes romp through the golden years of Hollywood. As heard on Radio 4, starring Jon Malcovich and Julian Sands. The greatest Hollywood Tarzan, Johnny Weissmuller, died in 1984. Maureen O'Sullivan, his Jane, died in 1998. Weissmuller's son, who first played Boy in the 1939 film 'Tarzan Finds a Mate', has gone too. But Cheeta the Chimp, who starred with them all, is alive and well, retired in Palm Springs as an abstract painter. At the incredible age of seventy-six, he is by far the oldest living chimpanzee ever recorded. Now, in this extraordinary debut novel, James Lever uncovers the astonishing tale of Cheeta... Cheeta was just a baby when snatched from the Liberian jungle in 1932, by the great animal importer Henry Trefflich, who went on to supply NASA with its 'Monkeys for Space' programme. That same year, Cheeta appeared in 'Tarzan the Ape Man', and in 1934 'Tarzan and His Mate', in which he famously stole the clothes from a naked O'Sullivan, dripping wet from an underwater swimming scene with Weissmuller. Full of humour, wit and emotion, James Lever's novel tells the truly unique tale of a monkey stolen from deepest Africa and forced to make a living among the fake jungles and outrageous stars of Hollywood's golden age. Cheeta's tinseltown journey extends beyond the screen, to his struggle with drink and addiction to cigars, his breakthrough with a radical new form of abstract painting, 'Apeism', his touching relationship with his retired nightclub-performing grandson Jeeta, now a considerable artist in his own right, his fondness for hamburgers and his battle in later life with diabetes, and, through thick and thin, carer Dan Westfall, his loving companion who has helped this magnificent monkey come to terms with his peculiar past. Funny, moving - and so searingly honest, you know it has to be fiction - 'Me Cheeta' transports us back to a lost Hollywood. Cheeta is a real star, and this is the greatest celebrity non-memoir of recent times...

Why My Cat Is More Impressive Than Your Baby is chockfull of comics about cats, babies, dogs, lasers, selfies, and pigeons! This book contains a vast wealth of never-before-seen comics, including informative guides, such as: How to comfortably sleep next to your cat 10 ways to befriend a misanthropic cat How to hold a baby when you are not used to holding babies A dog's guide to walking a human being How to cuddle like you mean it. Includes a pull-out poster of: How to tell if your cat thinks you're not that big of a deal.

Tabby cat or toucan? Airedale terrier or Angora rabbit? Python or Parakeet? If you didn't have a pet as a child, you probably wanted one. Pets features a huge range of pets from everyday pets such as cats and dogs to exotic pets such as tropical fish, toucans and terrapins, from cute mice to formidable pythons, from energetic rabbits to docile tortoises to thoroughbred horses. Part of the highly successful Mini Encyclopedia series, Pets includes 300 pets from around the world, offering a wealth of fascinating information on the background, breeding and natural habitat of these animals. With a page and outstanding colour illustration given to each pet, and specification boxes detailing on the origins, appearance, size, diet and lifespan of each animal, Pets is an easy-to-use pocket reference book for anyone interested in domesticated animals.

She has to be OK, I pleaded silently to myself. She has to be. 'We've alerted the RNLI and they're sending a lifeboat out.' 'The RNLI?' I said, surprised. 'They do that?' Saved from the Waves is a heart-warming collection of first-hand accounts from RNLI volunteers of the myriad dangers they face during each mission to save beloved pets, wildlife and livestock. This remarkable book shines a light on the bravery of the volunteers, and the necessity of these rescues - not only to save animals at risk of drowning, but to prevent people putting themselves in danger when trying to save a cherished furry friend. Each mission requires courage, determination and an unrelenting commitment to helping those in danger. Each day brings a new challenge for the extraordinary volunteer crews who are the lifeblood of the RNLI.

When Julius Caesar first brought the giraffe to Europe, the stunned Romans called it "camelopardalis," as a cross between a camel and a leopard? That the Medici organized hunts with cheetahs and staged animal combats in the Roman style? That Josephine Bonaparte was the first to breed black swans in captivity. Or that William Randolph Hearst kept a private preserve at his California home, with animals from all over the world? Exotic animals have entranced and inspired us and this book explores their remarkably influential role in history as among the most advantageous diplomatic gifts, the most cherished royal treasures and the most impressive symbols of power and learning. How did these creatures come to make or break rulers and help shape the definition of what it means to be civilized? These questions are explored through a chain of stories, beginning in ancient Alexandria and traveling through imperial Rome, Renaissance Florence, Aztec Mexico, baroque Prague, Napoleon's France, the robber barons' America, up to the present day, when two sets of giant pandas helped warm frosty relations between two superpowers.

"Pets have a special place in our hearts and homes--but do they share our destiny after death?"

World-famous psychic, spiritual teacher, and "New York Times "bestselling author Sylvia Browne reveals the very special purpose our pets have on Earth--and what animals experience after death.

With their never-ending loyalty, heroic deeds, comic behavior, and vibrant personalities, cats, dogs, horses, and other creatures are companions, but they can also be our closest friends and dearest confidants. The death of a pet is always heart wrenching and tragic. In her illuminating new book, legendary psychic Sylvia Browne shares heartwarming stories from pets on both sides of life as she examines how our unique and special animals live in the afterlife, whether we will see them on the Other Side, how their presence affects us daily, and where they fit into the whole of Creation.

This collection of poems contains some very personal verses and some which may have a broader appeal. If you have dogs or cats there should be something in here that raises a memory or a smile, perhaps a tear. The poems are a celebration of the benefits of furry lodgers, and a recognition of the heartaches they can bring.