“I doubt there’s a cat thief working your neighborhood.”
Let me introduce you to human scum. They drive around neighborhoods and kidnap dogs and cats, and then sell them to animal research centers.
Dognapping
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dognapping
This became a big thing in my area back in the 90s.
Now it’s mostly junkies grabbing small desirable breeds from yards and selling them in parking lot for dope money.
In the last few years, larger dogs are also being stolen and I’m sure there’s no connection to the influx of border jumpers who get their ya yas from dog fighting.
/livid
Oh, I’m aware of them. They used to work Eugene pretty hard. Cats aren’t likely to hold still for a van pulling up to them, though.
The largest percentage of cats that go missing here in southern NH is attributed to coyotes and Fischer Cats. A member of the weasel family.
These are primarily nocturnal predators.
Many new residents learn the hard way when Fluffy goes missing after they are put out at night to do their business and never come back.