Like these cats, domestic cats here are the enemy of all birds.
They rarely bother with rodents anymore, especially anything bigger than a house mouse. The rats are too big and aggressive for them.
For this reason I hate cats. If it were up to me I would pay boys 12-16yrs old a bounty of $10 for each they present dead to animal control. And would issue them the pellet guns to get the job done.
The program could be paused once the populations are again balanced.
I have three Mountain Feists. Better than cats. A mouse, squirrel, rat, or bug doesn’t stand a chance.
There are about a dozen or so wandering around my neighborhood. Two of them are actually friendly and let me get close to them. They keep the bugs, lizards and rodents away so I deal with it.
Not around here...we would have a field mice problem if the neighborhood cats didn’t keep them at bay......everybody feeds the cats outside so they’re never without food yet still they keep these field vice well in check!
Feral cats are the result of careless HUMANS. Those that did not spay or neuter their pet cat and allowed it to produce litter after litter. Those who tossed a deceased relative’s pet cat out into the street to fend for themselves as soon as the relative was laid to rest, and so on. There are numerous scenarios, none of which are the cat’s fault. We all have a hard-wired instinct to survive, and cats are no different. If someone is not giving them a nice warm home with regular meals, toys, etc. then the cat has to find its own food. Often, unfortunately, that takes the form of small birds, rodents, or rabbits. Why should the poor cat die because they were not born into a loving home or because they were abandoned? I have had several rescue kitties, and they are the best cats ever.