Pet Revolution tracks the British love affair with pets over the last two centuries, showing how the kinds of pets we keep, as well as how we relate to and care for them, has changed radically. The book describes the growth of pet foods and medicines, the rise of pet shops, and the development of veterinary care, creating the pet economy. Most importantly, pets have played a powerful emotional role in families across all social classes, creating new kinds of relationships and home lives.For the first time, through a history of companion animals and the humans who lived with them, this book puts the story of the 'pet revolution' alongside other revolutions - industrial, agricultural, political - to highlight how animals contributed to modern British life.
A history of pets and their companions in Britain from the Victorians to today.
Pet Revolution tracks the British love affair with pets over the last two centuries. As pets have entered our homes and joined our families, they have radically changed our world. Historians Jane Hamlett and Julie-Marie Strange show how the pet economy exploded-increasing the availability of pet foods, medicines, and shops-and reshaped our modern lives in the process. A history of pets and their human companions, this book reimagines the "pet revolution" as one among many other revolutions-industrial, agricultural, and political-that made possible contemporary life.
