The problem is house cats allowed to roam. They kill for sport and should similarly be killed for sport. A sewer rat could stand most of them down so they hunt baby birds in nests.
Are rats a problem in any suburb you've lived in? Did they remain a problem for long (assuming you are among the few who run into them)?
About 19 years ago, we lived in Long Beach. Our neighborhood became infested with roof rats. You could see them running on the utility poles and wires. We also had a gopher problem. Every morning I'd get up, grab a shovel and dispose of all the dead varmints, courtesy of my two Russian Blue cats. Finally the county came out and put up poison bait. It solved the problem. You know it's a problem when a neighborhood full of cats can't get rid of them.
Then there was the mouse explosion up here in the desert. The calico cat would dive into the kitchen pantry closet, and went after them. She'd kick canned goods out with her hind legs. It was pretty funny seeing cans come shooting out of the cabinet :)