"Mischievous"

We have quite the veritable herd of these critters which have taken up residence around the cabin, and the consequent generations of offspring have proliferated throughout the surrounding forest. Much to our amusement and dismay at times.

This in turn gives rise to the ensuing turf wars between hordes of arboreal rodents, to the degree where most morning interludes (ie in the outhouse) are broken by an omnipresent, constant chattering. Add to the cacophony the neighboring fledgling ravens + equally impressive range of vocalizations from a family of Gray Jays = something reminiscent of a safari scenario. Only thing missing are the monkeys. Aside from the occasional great ape lumbering about throwing sticks.

This is to say nothing of the impact the escalating population has had upon our feeders. We pretty much capitulate to the inevitable, and simply surrender the seed with a heavy sigh.

All of which gives me serious pause to reconsider my recent change of heart when it comes to the domestication of my cats: with this latest addition to the furry family we've forsworn the freerange tradition in lieu of awareness about its effect upon local fauna - mainly the detrimental impact feral and even unleashed common household kittys can inflict on wild bird populations. 

Of course that would mean an end to the tail-thrashing displays and endlessly amusing antics of an animal trapped indoors, only a thin pane of glass separating them from an unsuspecting community.