The Science of Pets by Jay Ingram
Reviewed by Lisa Timpf
In The Science of Pets, bestselling science writer and broadcaster Jay Ingram explores some age-old questions, and some new ones, about humans’ relationships with pets.
Is there such a thing as a “dog person” or a “cat person”? How and when did dogs and cats become domesticated? Is there any substance to the notion that people resemble their pets? Not all the questions Ingram poses have clear-cut answers, but he is happy to offer educated guesses based on scientific research, archaeological evidence, personal experience, and other factors.
“While there are chapters devoted to dogs, cats, and parrots, Ingram also explores creatures we may be less likely to think of as “pets,” such as horses, hydras, and ants.”
While there are chapters devoted to dogs, cats, and parrots, Ingram also explores creatures we may be less likely to think of as “pets,” such as horses, hydras, and ants. Ingram discusses humans’ tendency to be fascinated by the natural world. He examines how pet ownership benefits humans, and how pets in turn benefit from their relationship with us.
Humans have not always been kind to those in the animal world, and some chapters delve into the ways sacrifice or superstition have resulted in adverse treatment on a staggering or even shocking scale. But for the most part, the content is upbeat and often humorous.
Robotic pets, the indoor-cat-versus-outdoor-cat debate, the lengths to which people go to preserve their pets after they die—cryogenics, taxidermy, and cloning, for example—and the future of pets are among the topics explored.
Ingram discusses exotic pets, pets who have found their way home by travelling over vast distances, and attempts to communicate with animals. Pet names, dog breeds, and strategies for dealing with feral cat colonies are also explored. There’s even discussion of research into the nuances of canine tail-wagging.
Ingram backs up his fact-based assertions with referential footnotes, which are gathered at the end of the book. Periodically, he also provides asterisked comments on the bottom of a page, and these are worth reading. There are some gems of information here, either funny or insightful.
Ingram writes with clarity, and weaves facts in without impeding the flow of the text. Animal lovers and readers of Ingram’s previous books who enjoy following the journeys of his inquisitive mind should find a lot to like The Science of Pets. Informative, interesting, and entertaining.
About the Author
Jay Ingram has hosted two national science programs in Canada, Quirks & Quarks on CBC radio and Daily Planet on Discovery Channel Canada. He is the author of twenty books, which have been translated into fifteen languages, including the bestselling five-volume The Science of Why series. In 2015, he won the Walter C. Alvarez Award from the American Medical Writers’ Association for excellence in communicating health care developments and concepts to the public, and from 2005 to 2015 he chaired the Science Communications Program at the Banff Centre. Jay has seven honorary degrees, was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, and is a Member of the Order of Canada. He is a cofounder of the arts and engineering street festival called Beakerhead in Calgary. He lives in Victoria, British Columbia. Connect with him on X @JayIngram.
About the Reviewer
Lisa Timpf lives in Simcoe, Ontario, where she writes poetry, book reviews, short stories, and creative nonfiction. Lisa’s speculative poetry collections Cats and Dogs in Space (2025) and In Days to Come (2022) are available from Hiraeth Publishing. Lisa is a member of SF Canada and the Science Fiction and Fantasy Poetry Association. You can find out more about Lisa’s writing projects at http://lisatimpf.blogspot.com/. Lisa is also on Bluesky, @lisatimpf.bsky.social.
Book Details
Publisher : Simon & Schuster
Publication date : Nov. 4 2025
Language : English
Print length : 304 pages
ISBN-10 : 1668069261
ISBN-13 : 978-1668069264
I was saying the other day that Quirks and Quarks is the one thing on CBC that hasn't changed in my lifetime (they've even got rid of the longdash time signal at this point). It's not any better and not any worse than it was when I was a kid, it's just Jay Ingram asking scientists about their work. I'll have to check out his book.