Carolina Ciucci is a teacher, writer and reviewer based in the south of Argentina. She hoards books like they’re going out of style. In case of emergency, you can summon her by talking about Ireland, fictional witches, and the Brontë family.
There’s an art installation at the entrance of my childhood neighborhood that reads “dogs aren’t our whole life, but they make our life whole.” I haven’t had a dog since childhood (I miss them!), but I’ve had a cat for half a decade, and I can attest: my life would be significantly less full without my little monster, random bites and all.
This is a lengthy way of saying that I love animals, and I love having pets. The next best thing to having a pet, though? Reading about them. Whether it’s a heartfelt memoir about a dog or a donkey, nonfiction about pets always has the same effect on me as petting a puppy or watching a toddler play: a full-on serotonin boost. Of course, some books are sad, but that doesn’t mean they’re not worth reading. Because as everyone who’s ever loved a pet knows, loss and grief are inevitable… But they only come because we experienced the joy of love first.
So cuddle up with your dog or cat, sit next to your guinea pig enclosure, or perch on the couch next to your parrot’s cage, and sink into these eight lovely nonfiction books about pets.
Mornings Without Mii by Mayumi Inaba, translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori
When Inaba found an abandoned kitten on a summer evening in 1977, it was love at first sight. She took the cat home and named her Mii. The memoir follows the next twenty years of Inaba’s creative life, always accompanied by the loyal presence of Mii.
The Other Family Doctor by Karen Fine
Not all the pets that leave an imprint on your heart will be your pets. In this memoir, Dr. Fine, a veterinarian, explores the lessons she learned both from her own pets and from her (usually) furry patients. If this isn’t enough to sway you, may I mention you will find ferrets in this book?
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Cat and Bird by Kyoko Mori
Described as a “memoir in animals”, the book chronicles six eras in Mori’s life as a writer, each characterized by a particular cat she’s had. Dorian, Oscar, Ernest, Algernon, Miles, and Jackson each serve as an anchor for a particular time, making for a poignant memoir where animals aren’t just companions: they can be the center of the narrative.
Smart Ass by Margaret Winslow
Most of us had our little childhood hearts set on a dog. Not so Winslow: the pet she wanted as a kid was a donkey. When she sees one for sale decades later, this overworked college professor welcomes Caleb the Donkey into her life. But Caleb doesn’t believe in making things easy for her!
Poets Square by Courtney Gustafson
Even cat lovers usually draw the line somewhere. That somewhere tends to be far before we end up with thirty cats in our household. But Gustafson didn’t get that choice: her new rental house came with a staggering thirty (thirty!) stray cats. She did get to choose how to deal with it… a choice she credits for changing her life for the better.
Good Boy: My Life in Seven Dogs by Jennifer Finney Boylan
Jennifer Finney Boylan looks at her life in eras, and each era is marked by a particular dog. This chronicle of her life, including her transition, is full of beautiful memories of her furry friends and their love. Always, primarily, the book is about love. And who can love better than a dog?
English (US) · 