July 7, 1860

Gustav Mahler (July 7 1860 to May 18, 1911) has a  stature as a conductor and composer which is well established. His attitude to cats, maybe less so. According to protege Bruno Walter, Mahler "had a warm feeling for all living creatures and felt a loving concern for dogs, cats, birds, and all the creatures of the woods."

We have another view, by the author of Gustav Mahler: The Early Years (revised 1980 edition), Donald Mitchell:

Mahler's feeling for animals was profound...but when they disturbed his meditations or composing, he was ruthless in exterminating the sources of disturbance. When Mahler required Nature creatively, the degree of sympathetic identification was undeniably intensive;when Nature--in possibly the very same manifestation--hindered his creativity, he stamped out the intrusion quite dispassionately..There is no paradox here, merely a logical subervience, in either case, to the needs of his creative ego.

Mitchell's words may present a more nuanced view, but the effect of his words can also seem to obscure really, more than clarify.