SONGS

Dr. Howell,

Fascinating conversation. I'm curious about the claim that some pets aren't given names. I know a common rule of the meat industry is that animals aren't given names so people don't form attachments- do you think this naming plays a big part in the special compassion we give to companion animals and if it can actually be seen as a necessity to defining what "pet" means.

This was a very interesting lecture by Dr. Howell on the history of pets. I grew up with quite a few pets, and definitely know what he means by "pet love." I am very happy I watched this talk as it shed light on a topic that I did not realize was something so interesting. Animals have had a huge impact on human history, and it is important to acknowledge that. One important observation I made was the mention of ethics and ethical pet ownership. As pet ownership continues to rise across the globe and at all income levels, it is important to look at how this can effect the animals as well as how we can protect the animals from unnecessary suffering. My questions come from the fact that some animals are treated as pets while others are just food. Why do some animals receive "pet love" while others are only livestock? Overall this discussion was very interesting and I would like to do more research on the topic.

Dr. Howell,
Thank you for such an invigorating discussion on the history of a topic I had not even realized I knew so little about, The truth behind your mentioning that the traces of pets can be traced so far back that their history is often overlooked because it is something so deeply familiar to us really struck me. Relating to that point, you also commented on how we are able to date human beings by what they wear but when we look at dogs, much like the one in the picture with the soldier from World War 1, they look the same. It seems as if it shouldn't be but it is rather confusing looking at something that, as you said, could have been photographed yesterday. This, however, leans into an important idea you brought up about how this exact fact is why we need to give history back to animals. I find that looking back at the history of animals and how they have been such a profound part of human life for centuries to be fascinating, the photo of a human child, possibly a girl, from around 14,000 years ago, cradling a small dog made my perception of "pet love" as you called it, expand even further. I do find myself particularly curious about your emphasis on women and their relationship to pets. You mentioned Isabella d'Este as one of the great ladies of the Renaissance who staged a memorial for her dog and cat and how it was particularly something women did. The idea that it was frowned upon for women to show affection to their animals when it could be given to their husbands or children took me aback. I didn't ever stop to consider that something so normal to me now, could be considered wrong all those years ago. This is something I would love to hear more about or look further into in the future. Thank you!

Dear Dr. Howell,
I found your symposium on the history of pets to be a fascinating discussion, as it shed light on how pets have evolved and been valued over time in different cultures. One question that came to mind during the discussion was the extent to which pets have been used as a status symbol throughout history. A point that stood out to me was the ethical implications of pet ownership, which Professor Grier touched on during her presentation. As pet ownership continues to rise around the world, it's important to consider the impact this has on the animals themselves, as well as on the environment to consider the impact this has on the animals themselves, as well as on the environment and other humans. I would be curious to hear the speakers' thoughts on how we can strike a balance between benefits of pet ownership and the potential harm it can cause.

Dear Professor Phillip Howell,

You have posted many interesting questions. One I found particularly important is about the future of pets in the global crisis. I think that animals are more vulnerable than humans, and the course of their lives depend somewhat on human. So, it is possible that humans will no longer prioritize pets as part of their family members, and will gradually have less significance over time. I look forward to hearing your next thought about this particular topic. Perhaps another book?

Best Regards,
Navapan K.
12-16-2022

This was a great lecture by Dr. Howell on the history of pets. I don't have any pets myself but some of the facts about the economic side of owning pets were shocking and not enough people know about how they contribute to the environment negatively. However, I have a question as to the "price" we put on the emotional value that pets have? Pets can affect one's well-being and lift people's moods during hard times, so that does make it worth having pets? I did like the idea by Terry Harpold about using non-meat food sources for pets, and if it has the same nutritional effect as meat for the animals - it could make a lot of difference.

First, I wanted to thank you, Professor Howell, for giving your lecture on the history of pets. I think most pet owners take this topic for granted, and are unaware of most of the information you provided here. The progression of different cultural values in terms of pet-keeping and our habit of pet-keeping as humans is intriguing to me.

I believe author Terry Harpold brought up an interesting dilemma in the ecological footprint left by feeding dogs and cats non-plant based foods. I also wonder if this will eventually become a large enough issue, and if so, what are some ways in which we could deal with it in the future?

Hello, Dr. Howell
I find your lecture on the history of pets to be very interesting. I did not realize how little I understood about pet-keeping even though pets have been such a huge part of my life for so many years.
I am curious to know what your thoughts are on the idea of certain animals being "better" or "more favorable" than others. For example, cats and dogs are well-loved animals that people take in as pets. Why do we treat them with so much love and tenderness, but when, for example, we see that an animal of the same species had been hit by a car and we care so little? Additionally, why is it that animals of other species, such as spiders, possums, or beetles, are generally seen as disgusting and hateful when they are also living creatures?

I wanted to thank Mr. Howell for giving this very interesting lecture. I feel as though when we study humans, culture, and society, some things might be overlooked or taken for granted such as widespread pet ownership. My question is, do you think that the additional resources such as access to food, more time, and better wages that the industrial revolution brought, made it more affordable for people to own pets?

Thanks for the questions, everyone! I'm very touched that you thought of asking questions. Ashley has it exactly right, in that there are so many questions unanswered - even about the history of pets/companion animals. When I was a graduate student, scholarship of any kind seemed daunting and forbidding. I think that it is important that those of us who've hung around long enough to be classed as "experts" should confess what we don't know, and just how much there is out there to be found, and how much we need different perspectives. I know a fair amount about the Victorians, but that is a tiny part of the world, and a few generations. Please become the "experts" of the future! Abigail: you are already researching, and the links with Progressive America are very important. Animal welfare became "international" at this time, with the ASPCA and Henry Bergh just one part of a "humane" movement that spanned continents. There is excellent work on the period: Michael Lundblad's Birth of a Jungle (2013) is terrific. But the comparative history is lacking, and that is true even for much-studied societies. Women were heavily involved, and Battersea has some interesting gender politics. It looks like the "ladies" were particularly troubled by the decision to euthanise dogs, round about 1870. No cats until later (I can't quite remember when), but the shelter is now the Battersea Cats and Dogs Home. Cats are still somewhat neglected subjects! Cody: you are right to mention the stresses of the pandemic, and to sound a note of caution. There has been a surge of pet-buying, but also thoughtless pet-buying, and the record isn't clear as to whether pets have helped people's mental health. Like domestic life, lockdowns seem to have increased relationship stresses (and domestic abuse). Perhaps we need to think of our own lack-of-separation anxiety, where we feel "cooped up" with our human and nonhuman family members (though I want to say that I am happy to be in my wife's pocket - I make no claim that she feels the same way). Vinicius: I once was asked what the future of pets might be - and I really flunked that assignment. Knowing the history of something sometimes makes it difficult to address the future: understanding the history of cinema would hardly make one an expert of Tik Tok and beyond. As was noted, the environmental costs are very high; but on the other hand, tamagotchi or other digital avatars don't seem to me much of a substitute. People younger than me are probably better placed to think of where we might be in, say, 50 years. Will "pets" as we think of them now, at least in the West, exist? Will we have a Philip K. Dick, "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" scenario, where flesh-and-blood animals are rare and costly, so that only the Elon Musks of the world could afford a companion animal? I'm too sentimental to welcome that possibility. I miss my cat Faber, long gone but still a beautiful memory. She got me through my PhD!

I found Dr. Howell's presentation "What We Know about the History of Pets – and What We Don’t" very interesting in terms of not only the evolution of different cultural values in terms of pet-keeping but also what our relatively unique habit of pet-keeping says about the human ‘species’ as a whole.

A bit of food for thought that I gathered in hindsight of this webinar was how our future habits of pet-keeping might look like, in terms of future millennia. How might we change how we value pets and find a place for them in society, given our patterns of pet-keeping throughout history?

Hello Dr. Howell,

I just wanted to thank you for this wonderful presentation. It is truly outstanding how far back the notion of pet keeping may go.

I realize this was a presentation on the history of pets, but I couldn't help but think about pet ownership in relation to current world events. Given the global pandemic, rising food costs, and supply shortages, I wondered if pet ownership has been on a decline. Or perhaps, the opposite has happed. In a world of forced isolationism from quarantine, a pet can be the perfect companion to keep people from feeling too lonely. How is pet ownership affected by hardship?

I was able to find a study done last year with an analysis done during the pandemic:
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/10/1882

The study found that pets were a source of stress for a majority of owners during the pandemic. Owner concerns included meeting a pet’s social and behavioral needs, frustration over a pet’s desire for attention and repeated interruptions during work, and changes to how veterinary services are delivered. These problems were exasperated for people newly working from home.

Food for thought.

Thank you,
Cody Schrank

Dr. Howell's presentation "What We Know about the History of Pets – and What We Don’t" was very interesting in that fact that the history of pets is a newer study. In fact, we do not know a lot about pets. I would be interested to see the future in this area study and to see future trends that happen as a result of owning pets.
Dr. Howell was a wonderful speaker, engaging, and made the subject easy for those who lack prior knowledge to understand.

Professor Howell,
I thought your mention of the first animal shelter built in the 1860's was particularly fascinating. I wonder if the shelter housed cats in addition to dogs and perhaps other animals as well. Additionally, I did some light research and found that a group of women activists were the ones to establish the first animal shelter. It seems as though the influence of the Progressive Era extended to more than just human reforms, which is amazing in itself. This webinar was very thought-provoking.