Kimmy and Jules: Animal Welfare, Pets, and the Violence of Care

Abstract When I started a research project on stray cat care in the United Arab Emirates and moved here with my three cats soon after, I did not expect my experiences to create a moral conflict around animal welfare practices and being a pet parent. Here, I explore—through my experiences of participating in TNR (Trap, Neuter, and Return) and adopting cats from my university campus—how both animal welfare and pet ownership are infused with violence and inequality, even as they are sites of care and love. My experiences conducting this more‐than‐human ethnography have thoroughly challenged my ethics and my understanding of what constitutes “humane” relationships with nonhumans.