The report that was posted early has some very old data. I'm not sure if reports of 10, 20 or even older articles really apply to 2007. More and more people are realizing how dangerous it is to allow free-ranging cats. We've learned more about the dangers and the downfalls. I would be surprised to find any animal specialist that would recommend allowing cats to roam free.

Many of the cats that you find roaming this area are actually homeless strays who have no other choice.   Debating whether or not it is morally correct to allow cats to hunt birds and other animals is not the real issue. If you honestly think that cats are the main culprits in the decline of a bird population, you are allowing yourself to be ignorant of all the other issues that have added to the problem.

I do understand that free roaming cats are more prevelant in the UK than they are in the U.S. Perhaps they will catch up to us with some education.

I truly believe it is more important to realize the cruelty that is involved in allowing a cat to live a free-range lifestyle in this day and age. While it may have been the norm to allow cats to roam free in the past. People would also bathe once a week in those days and that is one tradition that I would not recommend keeping alive either.