We love our pets. Dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, and other species have become an essential part of more families than ever before—in North America today, pets outnumber people. Pet owners are drawn to their animal companions through an innate desire to connect with other species. But there is a dark side to our domestic connection with animal life: the pet industry is contributing to a global conservation crisis for wildlife—often without the knowledge of pet owners.

 

In Unnatural Companions, journalist Peter Christie issues a call to action for pet owners. If we hope to reverse the alarming trend of wildlife decline, pet owners must acknowledge the pets-versus-conservation dilemma, and concede that our well-fed and sheltered cats too often prey on small backyard wildlife and that seemingly harmless reptiles released into the wild might be the next destructive invasive species. We want our pets to eat nutritionally healthy food, but how does the designer food we feed them impact the environment?

 

This book is a cautionary tale to responsible pet owners that we must change the ways we love and care for our pets. It concludes with the positive message that small changes we make at home can foster better practices in the pet industry that will ultimately benefit our pets’ wild brethren.

Peter Christie is a long-time naturalist and native of Prince Edward County. Before turning his attention to writing, he worked as a researcher for various universities and private foundations, conducting natural history surveys of wildlife in Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. This work included his participation in a 1979 survey of reptiles and amphibians on which much of this book is based. Most recently, Peter returned to Canada from Tokyo, where he worked as a newspaper editor. His illustrations have appeared in a number of magazines and newspapers in Canada and overseas. Peter considers his ecologist father, the late Jack Christie, to have been his most important guide to the natural world.

Peter Christie's profile page

"The author dramatically highlights the problems associated with our pets as they relate to the natural world .... This book will make you think. It may also lead you to become part of the solution."

Wildlife Activist

"If you love pets, reading Peter Christie’s new book Unnatural Companions: Rethinking Our Love of Pets in an Age of Wildlife Extinction might be like taking the pill in The Matrix. It is a highly compelling and even page-turning read, but it’s not a comforting one. In it, Christie argues that the pet industry is a significant threat to wildlife conservation."

TNC's Cool Green Science

"We are devastated when a beloved cat or dog dies, depriving us of a cherished companion. But cats and dogs, along with rats, are the most devastating animal species to biodiversity, while exotic pets—pythons in Florida, for example—massively harm natural ecosystems. Christie paints the complex picture of just how much our love of animals has unexpected and unfortunate consequences."

Stuart L. Pimm, Doris Duke Professor of Conservation, Nicolas School of the Environment, Duke University

"Exceptionally well written and impressively informative, Unnatural Companions: Rethinking Our Love of Pets in an Age of Wildlife Extinction is a timely and unreservedly recommended addition."

Midwest Book Review

"Unnatural Companions not only identifies some of the major problems we face by climate change endangering wildlife, but also suggests real ideas for improvement. Pet owners could behave in ways that impact less on wildlife, and the pet industry could protect the species that would benefit from its protection. We who love our pets must be champions for all animals and champion the fight to stop extinction."

Alan M. Beck, Professor and Director of the Center for the Human-Animal Bond, Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine

"Our cuddly cats and our slobbering retrievers give us much joy and affection. The challenge, and what Christie uncovers and articulates so well in Unnatural Companions, is that there are deep reasons as well as hidden costs to our pet addiction, including their ecological footprints—which most of us don't consider, but should."

Pete Marra, Director of Georgetown Environmental Initiative, and author of "Cat Wars"

"Unnatural Companions highlights an array of issues that pets pose to the natural world…. Ultimately, it is hard to imagine any reader coming away from Unnatural Companions without some needed enlightenment on the complexity pets play in our world today."

Journal of Wildlife Management

"A remarkable examination of our interactions with the pets we welcome in our homes."

Literary Review of Canada