The people (and especially the cat) in this story are lucky that this guy took the steps that he did instead of using other methods of eliminating the crisis.
One more thing, idiots who let their house cats out are well, idiots. I live in the Foothills where there are lots of predators so you would think people would make the connection with their missing cat and the wonderful wild back to nature experience they had when they saw a Coyote crossing the road.
I’m of the opinion that God gave the cats ‘free access’ to wildlife. It’s called thinning the herd. If a bird is to slow, then that’s NATURE.
Before one of my cats (who resided in my barn) got to old to be out on her own she hunted on all sides of my property and my neighbors loved it. She kept the rodents to a minimum, the snakes left town, and the rabbits stayed out of their gardens.
She knew birds and squirrels were a no-no, and I only had to scold her once about the cardinal.