Pets in America: A History is a detailed portrait of Americans' relationships with the cats, dogs, birds, fishes, rodents, and other animals we call our own. As this indepth book demonstrates, the ways we talk about and treat our pets - as companions, as children, and as objects of beauty, status, or pleasure - have their origins long ago.

Grier begins her book with a natural history of animals as pets, then discusses the changing role of pets in family life, new standards of animal welfare, the problems presented by borderline cases such as livestock pets, and the marketing of both animals and pet products. The book focuses particularly on the period between 1840 and 1940, when the emotional, behavioral, and commercial characteristics of contemporary pet keeping were established.

This catalogue, produced to accompany the exhibition "Pets in America" is colorful and informative look at the "stuff" that reflects our lives with animals.  The many items illustrated and discussed convey the long love affair Americans have had with their favorite animals. From an early metal dog collar and wicker cat carrier to more contemporary aquarium ornaments and the current $10,000.00 rescue dog, dozens of objects and images of owners with their pets chart this evolving history. 

An introductory essay by curator Katherine C. Grier introduces readers to the field of material culture study and how the many artifacts associated with pet keeping in the United States reveal the depth and complexity of our lives at home with animals.