Carnism and Diet in Multi-Species Households
Chapter 12 On Ambivalence and Resistance: Carnism and Diet in Multi-species Households Erika Cudworth Introduction Particularly in richer parts of the globe significant numbers of us keep a small number of certain species as companions in our homes. Sixty three per cent of North Americans live with a companion animal, and in 2006, spent $40.8 billion on food, bedding, toys, and recreational activities with their animals (Williams and DeMello 2007, 231–32). In New Zealand, the figure is even higher with 68 per cent of households including a companion animal—the highest level of companion animal guardianship in the world (New Zealand Companion Animal Council 2011, 8). In the United Kingdom (UK), almost one in two households include a com- panion animal (46 per cent, Pet Food Manufacturers Association, 2014) with the most popular companions being dogs (9 million) and cats (8 million) (Pet Food Manufacturers Association, 2014), which together account for around 45 per cent of animals kept as ‘pets’ (Pet Health Council 2008). Overwhelmingly, these non-human animals depend on ‘their’ humans for food. Until the late nineteenth century, domestic dogs were fed leftover food from human meals and stale or rotten food, and this is still common prac- tice in ‘developing’ countries. From the development of dog ‘biscuits’ in the 1860s, a global industry has emerged which utilizes enormous quantities of readily available corn, wheat, rice, potatoes and soy as well as huge quanti- ties of blood, bone, skin and flesh from domesticate animals slaughtered for meat. In 2007, the pet food industry in the United States (USA) alone sold over $16 billion worth of ‘goods’ (Williams and DeMello 2007, 231).
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