The Great Cat And Dog Massacre

The tragedies of World War II are well known. But at least one has been forgotten: in September 1939, four hundred thousand cats and dogs were massacred in Britain. The government, vets, and animal charities all advised against this killing. So why would thousands of British citizens line up to voluntarily euthanize household pets? In The Great Cat and Dog Massacre, Hilda Kean unearths the history, piecing together the compelling story of the life—and death—of Britain’s wartime animal companions. She explains that fear of imminent Nazi bombing and the desire to do something to prepare for war led Britons to sew blackout curtains, dig up flower beds for vegetable patches, send their children away to the countryside—and kill the family pet, in theory sparing them the suffering of a bombing raid. Kean’s narrative is gripping, unfolding through stories of shared experiences of bombing, food restrictions, sheltering, and mutual support. Soon pets became key to the war effort, providing emotional assistance and helping people to survive—a contribution for which the animals gained government recognition. Drawing extensively on new research from animal charities, state archives, diaries, and family stories, Kean does more than tell a virtually forgotten story. She complicates our understanding of World War II as a “good war” fought by a nation of “good” people. Accessibly written and generously illustrated, Kean’s account of this forgotten aspect of British history moves animals to center stage—forcing us to rethink our assumptions about ourselves and the animals with whom we share our homes.

The landmark history of France and French culture in the eighteenth-century, a winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize When the apprentices of a Paris printing shop in the 1730s held a series of mock trials and then hanged all the cats they could lay their hands on, why did they find it so hilariously funny that they choked with laughter when they reenacted it in pantomime some twenty times? Why in the eighteenth-century version of Little Red Riding Hood did the wolf eat the child at the end? What did the anonymous townsman of Montpelier have in mind when he kept an exhaustive dossier on all the activities of his native city? These are some of the provocative questions the distinguished Harvard historian Robert Darnton answers The Great Cat Massacre, a kaleidoscopic view of European culture during in what we like to call "The Age of Enlightenment." A classic of European history, it is an essential starting point for understanding Enlightenment France.

A very natural and honest version of life's events from the perspective of a young girl - from her suspicions about her neighbours, to her rocky friendship with the girl next door; from the sudden death of her beloved granny to her relentless quest for a pet hamster, only to then find it mysteriously slaughtered - which kickstarts a local investigation of 'suspects'.

A cat goes conspicuously missing in this hilarious pet mystery from the team that created "The Great Hamster Massacre" and "The Great Rabbit Rescue." Illustrations.

In 1939, 400,000 cats and dogs were massacred in Britain, their corpses heaped up outside veterinarians offices. Fear of the imminent German blitz led the government to urge pet owners to spare their animal companions so that they would not suffer in the bombing raids. Hilda Kean s gripping narrative of this little-known event includes tales of smuggling pets into bomb shelters, trading bits of cat food on the black market, and preemptively killing thousands of pets at the start of the war to save the food supplies in England. Kean is able to show vividly how pets were an important part of British wartime experience. She pays close attention to animals, both symbolic and actual, arguing that after the pet massacre, human-animal bonds became stronger and closer. In the process of telling this history, Kean necessary complicates the picture of World War II as the good war fought by a nation of good, animal-loving people. Her close use of primary materials (diaries, personal sources, contemporary newspapers, collective public reports on daily life, etc.) gives palpable reality to the animals and their fate at this time. This forgotten aspect of Britain s history makes us rethink accepted accounts of the War and shows the ways in which animal and human histories are inextricably linked. We are also constrained to rethink our assumptions about ourselves and the animals with whom we share our homes."

In the late twentieth century animals are news. Parliamentary debates, protests against fox hunting and television programs like AnimalHospital all focus on the way in which we treat animals and on what that says about our own humanity. As vegetarianism becomes ever more popular, and animal experimentation more controversial, it is time to trace the background to contemporary debates and to situate them in a broader historical context. Hilda Kean looks at the cultural and social role of animals from 1800 to the present – at the way in which visual images and myths captured the popular imagination and encouraged sympathy for animals and outrage at their exploitation. From early campaigns against the beating of cattle and ill-treatment of horses to concern for dogs in war and cats in laboratories, she explores the relationship between popular images and public debate and action. She also illustrates how interest in animal rights and welfare was closely aligned with campaigns for political and social reform by feminists, radicals and socialists. "A thoughtful, effective and well-written book"—The Scotsman "It could hardly be more timely, and its wonderful material is bound to provoke ... reflection"—The Independent "A work of great interest"—Sunday Telegraph "Lively, impressively researched, and well-written ... a book that is timely and valuable"—Times Literary Supplement "A pleasing balance of anecdote and analysis"—Times Higher Educational Supplement

Joe has gone to live with his dad, leaving behind his beloved pet rabbit. Anna and Suzanne try to look after it for him, but when the rabbit becomes ill, they're convinced it's because it's missing Joe. Now Joe is sick too. The girls are certain that Joe and the rabbit will die unless they are reunited soon… But can Anna and Tom and Suzanne pull off The Great Rabbit Rescue in time?

Rosalie's parents fight like cats and dogs, even now that they're divorced. It's hard going from one house to another and knowing that although she loves them both, her parents just don't get along anymore. But there's one thing her mom and dad do agree on: they both love Rosalie, and Rosalie is here to stay!