The Science of Pets

by Jay Ingram

In the tradition of The Inside of a Dog, top science writer and TV personality Jay Ingram shares new insights into the hearts, minds, and bodies of the animals who love us (or do they?).

More than one billion pets live in homes around the world, sleeping on dog beds, clawing at cat trees, swimming in bowls, crawling around in aquariums. Canada, the United States, Brazil, the EU, and China make up half of those households, with half of the world’s population owning a pet of some sort. Yet despite the ubiquitous animals that lick our faces and steal food off the counter, we really don’t know a lot about the scientific side of their why do dogs spin around when excited, do our cats really love us, do lizards make good pets, can single-celled organisms be considered pets (you can cut the hydra in two and have two pets!), what are parrots thinking, and can a horse be considered a pet? Or pigs (even those sent to market)? Or praying mantises? Or how about robot pets in Japan, caring for the elderly?

Veteran science broadcaster and journalist Jay Ingram, author of twenty popular science titles, including the bestselling Science of Why series, has researched the latest science behind our beloved furry, and not-so-furry, creatures that sleep on our sofas and eat our pizza crusts. Along the way, he discusses the myths and misconceptions about our do dogs always do their business facing north? Why are we seeing a rise in exotic pets such as tigers and bears? Are the deer and foxes we see “rescued” on Instagram considered pets and could they be domesticated? Did dogs entirely evolve from wolves, and why? Can you communicate with a turtle? Do highly intelligent octopi make good pets? And why are baby animals, like baby humans, so darned have they evolved to be born cute as a survival mechanism, and would that cuteness matter to others of their own kind who might consider them their next lunch?

Full of fabulous insights, humorous asides, and the wisdom of decades in science reporting, The Science of Pets will elucidate as it entertains. You will never look at your pets the same way again (but be sure they’re watching you closely).

Genres: Nonfiction, Animals, Science

304 pages, Hardcover

Published November 4, 2025

About the author

Jay Ingram CM (born March 20, 1945) is a Canadian author and broadcaster. He was host of the television show Daily Planet (originally titled @discovery.ca), which airs on Discovery Channel Canada, since the channel's inception in 1995. Ingram's last episode of Daily Planet aired on June 5, 2011. Ingram announced his retirement but stated he will make guest appearances on Daily Planet. He was succeeded by Dan Riskin. His book The End of Memory: A Natural History of Aging and Alzheimer’s is forthcoming from St. Martin's Press in 2015.

Reviews

[Dana M · Rating 4 out of 5]

“To summarize, I'd say dog ownership usually increases physical activity, which is healthy; blood pressure reduction is ambiguous, as is relief of depression.”

A Fascinating Look at Why We Love Our Pets 🐾

We're still trying to answer one surprisingly simple question: Why do we keep pets?

Humans are the only species that keeps animals purely for companionship, and this book dives into the fascinating science, history, and psychology behind it all. It's informative, but never dry. In fact, it’s a lot of fun! I found myself pausing constantly to share random facts with anyone who’d listen - like… did you know the first cloned cat was named CC for Copy Cat?!

The book explores how pet ownership began as a symbiotic relationship, wolves keeping close to humans for scraps of food while providing safety, which turned into working animals helping humans survive, and evolved into something far more emotional: cuddles, walkies, and unconditional love. It also unpacks the real benefits of having pets: lower stress, reduced anxiety, less loneliness, even improved heart health. And it’s not just about cats and dogs—you’ll find chapters on birds, fish, and yes… even ants. And somehow, ants are actually interesting?!

Whether you're a dog person, a cat person, or something in between, this book offers thoughtful insights and surprising facts that make you appreciate the animals in your life even more.

I do enjoy books like this, the ones that reveal the everyday wonders in our lives and remind us why the bonds we form with animals are so powerful.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster for the ARC of The Science of Pets!

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fascinating read! It explores pet ownership, what constitutes a pet, naming, dogs, cats, other pets, what the future might hold for pets we lost and so much more.

This is my first Jay Ingram book, so I wasn't sure what to expect. It is definitely on the science and technical side. For me that meant reading a couple chapters or section at a time, this helped me take in all the info and also not feel overwhelmed by the info. The great thing? This book is organized perfectly for this style of reading - perfectly organized sections and bite size info at a time. I also really loved that the author brought his own pets into the experience.

For anyone who has pets, this is a fun read to learn more about how they came to be and gets you thinking about your own pets and the experiences that you've had!

Huge thank you to Simon and Schuster for my gifted copy!!!

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

A complex and often polarizing subject, broached in a well-researched and accessible way. I’m glad Ingram made the effort to include exotic pets, even though most research revolves around dogs and cats.

There is quite a wide variety of subjects included in this book, which gives a broad view of the subject. The downside is none are explored in depth, but the text is well referenced to allow readers to pursue their research if they so choose.

As the “mom” to a dog, a cat, two rabbits and goldfish, as well as spending a lot of time with horses, I still learned a lot and my thoughts about my relationships with my pets were provoked and challenged, which is the main reason non-fiction is so important! It’s a good read for anyone wanting to explore the human-pet connection.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned a lot from reading this book. I sure love our pets, and was happy to discover a lot of information about their history and our relationship with them. This is a book that you may pick up now and then, and pick and choose amongst the various chapters. Perhaps some chapters may not interest you, and others will pique your interest. I especially enjoyed the part on Oddities. There was certainly a lot to think about, especially after reading about magnetism.

If you have pets in your life, this is a great book to add to your bookshelf!

[Colin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A light and accessible read, The Science of Pets offers a broad survey of current ideas about why we keep animals and how those relationships shape us. Jay Ingram comes across clearly as a dog person, but he makes an effort to include a wider range of pets. As someone who shares life with rescued dogs, I appreciated the empathy throughout, even if the book never dives very deep. It’s a good general-interest read, but not one for those seeking groundbreaking insights or detailed scientific analysis.

[Craig Colby · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Science of Pets is a fun and fascinating look at our relationship with pets. While cats and dogs get a lot of ink, because they are the most popular pets and that's where much of the research is, Ingram also explores birds, lizards and other pets as well. The chapters have great information, always told conversationally with abundant wit.

This is a great read for anyone who wants to understand their pets better. As someone who has never had a pet bigger than a golfish, this helped me understand what it's like to live with animals and why we do it in the first place.

[Al Maki]

A popular science writer asks what are pets and why do we have them.