Jay Ingram’s latest book tackles our frequently asked questions about pets — read an excerpt now
Have you ever wondered why your dog spins around when they’re excited? Or if your cat really likes your company? Jay Ingram’s latest book The Science of Pets aims to answer those questions and more, through rigorous research and reporting.
“We are entering an unprecedented era of pet ownership. Both the global demand for pets and the variety of animals bred or captured to satisfy that demand are going through the roof,” he told CBC Books in an email. “At the same time, we’re just starting to gain insights into how pets think and feel. What we need now is a better understanding of our side of the relationship.”
Ingram, the Victoria-based former host of CBC Radio’s Quirks & Quarks, is a prolific author with 20 books under his belt, including the five-volume The Science of Why series. His work has been translated into 15 languages, and he has received accolades such as the Walter C. Alvarez Award from the American Medical Writers’ Association and being named a Member of the Order of Canada.
In his signature easy-to-understand writing style packed with insights and funny asides, Ingram’s The Science of Pets makes science accessible as it relates to our everyday lives and the pets we love so dearly.
“Readers might be surprised by the sheer volume of scientific research on pets, including how pet ownership disturbs the natural world, how we may never know when our ancestors began keeping pets, and how, above all, anything we learn about pets tells us something about ourselves.”
The Science of Pets will be released on November 4, 2025. One fascinating topic covered in the book is the cloning of pets.
The idea of cloning pets may sound like something out of a science fiction novel, but it has become a reality. The cloning of pets has been on the rise, with one recent study documenting the insights gained from cloning a thousand dogs over the past two decades. While cloning has produced teams of polo horses, cows that produce more milk, and pigs that are meatier, the cloning of pets raises unique ethical and emotional considerations.
The first dog was cloned in 2005 in Seoul, South Korea, and the practice has since become more established. Reasons for cloning pets vary, from medical research into genetic defects shared with humans to fulfilling a consumer demand for replicating beloved companions.
Celebrities like Barbra Streisand have made headlines for cloning their pets, with Streisand cloning her beloved dog Sammie after her passing. While the emotional connection to a pet can drive the desire for cloning, there are ethical concerns and missed opportunities to adopt shelter animals.
The Science of Pets delves into the complexities of pet cloning and explores the implications for both pet owners and the animals themselves. Ingram’s engaging writing style and insightful research make this book a must-read for anyone curious about the evolving relationship between humans and their animal companions.
Excerpted from The Science of Pets by Jay Ingram, published by Simon & Schuster. Copyright © 2025 by Jay Ingram. All rights reserved.
