Animals Make Us Human: Creating the Best Life for Animals

Synopsis

Can a dog be happy if you have to leave him alone for most of the day? Is the lion that paces all day in the zoo miserable or just exercising? Should you train your cat? Why do gerbils dig so much? How can we keep our animals from panicking at the vet's? Drawing on almost thirty years of research, experimentation, and experience, Temple Grandin answers these and countless other questions by focusing on the emotional needs all animals share. Animals have feelings, she argues, and we need to stimulate their positive emotions - seeking and play - while ensuring that they're free from the negative ones - fear, panic, and rage - if they're going to have a truly good life. With stories and practical insights, Grandin explains how to fulfill the specific needs of dogs, cats, horses, wildlife, and farm and zoo animals, and lets us see happiness through the eyes of our animals.

The New York Times - Dwight Garner

Ms. Grandin loves solid, declarative sentences: "Cattle hate being yelled at"; "Pigs are obsessed with straw"; "Cows like to learn new things." So I'll add one of my own: We're lucky to have Temple Grandin.