Oh My Goat!: Just how intelligent are the animals we eat? (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781764248204)

Just how intelligent are the animals we call food? Have you ever stared at a steak, peered at a pork chop or glanced at a goat curry and wondered about that animal? Where did it come from, and how was it raised? Did that creature think, play, dream, or have feelings? Or was it simply a mindless creature destined for the dinner plate? " Oh, My Goat " takes a rollicking adventure through the history of how we have viewed, judged, treated, sacrificed, mummified, deified and - fried animals. Blending science, history, and humour, this book exposes the uncomfortable realities of modern factory farming - from towering hog hotels to chickens that grow so fast they fall over - and challenges the idea that these animals are simply products.

Wild animals currently make up only 4% of Earth's mammalian biomass, with livestock dominating the rest. This sheds light on the importance of how we treat the animals we call "food". From the psychology of pigs, the social lives of sheep, and the cognitive powers of chickens, Gehlert reveals surprising research that shows just how much we share - biologically, cognitively and emotionally with the animals in our farms and on our forks.

How much meat? Unbelievably, our love affair with meat may well have brought about the "Meatropocene", a term Gehlert coined to describe the profound impact the 360 million tons of meat we produce and consume each year has on our planet. But far from a guilt trip, the author invites us to look closer, think deeper, and make more informed choices. Whether you're a meat-eater, flexitarian, vegetarian, or just curious, Oh My Goat will challenge how you view the creatures behind your cuisine.