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| Spring Peeper |
“Almost spring” – the best
reason to feel good about animals and the world and animals in the world
(however briefly), with bird song in the morning again! Can spring peepers be far behind?
bears); growth (of everything, it seems); rebirth (of hope!). This year’s spring equinox arrives on Tuesday,
March 20, at 12:15 pm, though the signs of its coming have already worked their
magic.
from Latin words that literally mean “equal night” because the length of day
and night is nearly equal in all parts of the world. Earlier dawns
and later sunsets mean longer days with more sunlight hours – all to the good
for those of us who suffer from SAD and other winter blues.
For “animal people,” the joys of spring also include the mixed blessing
of “kitten season,” when these cunning baby animals can seem to be everywhere.
Yes, they’re adorable, and sometimes
they are on their own, but remember to look carefully for mama cats before
“rescuing” any babies.
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| American Robin |
Speaking of spring and birds and cats, it’s almost time to try the “cat
fur good deed”: collect the fluff you brush from your shedding cats and
sprinkle it outside. I’ve read that
birds – and I’d bet squirrels too – snatch it up to line their nests and warm
their babies. It might even help prevent some young birds and squirrels from
falling out of their nests. Try it –
they’ll like it!
books to know about, thanks to a sympathetic librarian and blog-reading friend:
Animals Will Revolutionize Dinner and the World, by Paul Shapiro (description excerpted from Kirkus Reviews)
An intriguing argument for developing an
economy of cultured, lab-born meat because “clean meat” is already
a reality. The first “cultured hamburger,” produced in 2013 cost
about $330,000; now it costs around $11 per burger.
The same is true of animal
foods and products of other kinds, from dairy to poultry to leather. Within a
decade or two, it may be possible to eat meat that has not involved the
suffering of a living animal and to wear shoes made of leather that has not
come from a slaughterhouse.
Inspire Compassion and Improve the Lives of Farm Animals, by
Nathan Runkle (description from Amazon blurb)
Runkle’s book tells how he founded this country’s leading
nonprofit organization for protecting factory farmed animals. The work of “Mercy
for Animals” has ranged from grassroots activism through undercover
investigations to today’s efforts for sweeping legislative change.
Far-reaching negative consequences resulted when America moved from a network of small, local farms with more
than 50 percent of Americans involved in agriculture, to a massive
coast-to-coast industrial complex controlled by a mere 1 percent of our
population. But Runkle offers both hope
and solutions for ending mistreatment of factory farmed animals, from diet
modifications to directions for how to contact corporations and legislators
efficiently.
better to end a post on a joyful subject than to share this story about a happy
ending for one spider – actually, as many happy endings as this spider has
legs: