Home
Of Mice and Men
Wildlife Rehabilitators
Feral/Stray Cat Help
Bulletin Board
   
 

“The Hunter's Funeral Procession” is a 19th century woodcut by Moritz von Schwind. It illustrates a scene from a popular classic Austrian children's fairy tale. Forest animals, carrying the body of a dead hunter to his grave, march solemnly through the night in a mock show of ceremonial pomp and mourning. It's a powerful image, beautifully rendered through its richness of detail, and it leaves a lasting impression on the viewer's mind.

The drawing was an inspiration for the 3rd movement of Gustav Mahler's First Symphony -- one of my favorite pieces of classical music. In the 3rd movement, the music -- a mixture of variations on the theme of "Frère Jacques" and Jewish folk melodies -- is alternatively merry and somber, chaotically dreamlike and nightmarish at the same time, double-edged throughout like the morose but fantastical allegory itself.
 

This page of my website is dedicated to all the animals with whom we coexist in our little suburban yard. To me, a garden wouldn't be half as precious without all the creatures that call it home.

My feral-born cats finally moved indoors last year, but I debated for awhile whether to let them outside again. Considering that I live on a busy street in the suburbs, surrounded by neighbors whom I don't trust, it became an easy decision to keep my cats indoors. Besides, my cats have adjusted very well to indoor life. Sure, the first few weeks were tough, and I do miss running around with them and having their companionship when I'm gardening, but I actually find that I can spend more quality time with my cats indoors versus when they were living outside. I see my neighbors' cats roaming in other people's yards (including mine), and I wonder if that's not being negligent. Allowing a cat to wander outside is no substitute for quality time spent bonding and playing with one's pet. Outdoor pets must also be supervised, because not only are there many dangers outside, but cats can also wreak plenty of havoc on wildlife.

Our yard is home to a diversity of wildlife, including chipmunks, rabbits, squirrels, voles, and many species of birds. My cats are particularly adept at hunting voles, which I never even knew existed until my cats started finding them. They are awfully cute little rodents, and if my cats didn't kill them, I released them back into the woods.

We are also lucky to have bats in the area. They own the sky in the evenings. Besides being amazing creatures to watch, bats are voracious insectivores and they consume thousands of mosquitoes every day. I put up a bat house last spring, but it was never occupied although they still came every day. I hope they move in this year. I may even put up another house, because I want to encourage even more bats to "hang around."

  
These ducks are occasional visitors to the pool in summer.

NRDC is the nation's most effective environmental action organization. NRDC uses law, science, and the support of 1.2 million members and online activists to protect the planet's wildlife and wild places and to ensure a safe and healthy environment for all living things. NRDC's website provides a wealth of environmental information as well as state-of-the-art online activism tools.

Animal Protection Institute