Run, Spot, run : the ethics of keeping pets / Jessica Pierce.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Thinking about Spot Awash with pets -- Neighborhood menagerie -- Who are pets? -- Why pets? -- Tainted love -- Living with Spot Family constellations -- Why not -- Sleeping together -- Stroke it -- Talk talk -- Animal bling -- Butt of the joke -- Planting seeds of empathy -- Pets and our health -- Cat scratch fever -- Pets and their health -- Feeding frenzy -- Who should we feed to our pets? -- Your dog is fat! -- Poop -- Animals bite back -- Pet and planet -- Worrying about Spot Turn me loose -- A boredom epidemic -- Don't you want me? -- Cruelty, abuse, neglect -- A hidden world of hurt -- Quiz: cruel practices -- The strange world of animal hoarding -- The links -- Heavy petting -- Licensed to kill -- Rage against the dying -- Fatal plus -- Eunuchs and virgins -- Breeding bad -- The shelter industry -- Cradle to grave -- A living industry -- Protect the harvest -- Rent-a-pet -- The biggest loser: exotic pets -- Caring for Spot What do pets need? -- Enriching animals' lives -- Which animals should be pets? -- Offering better protection -- Speaking for Spot -- So, is pet keeping ethical?.