I'm sorry to hear such bad feeling about cats, I love my little moggie! He doesn't undersand which bit of garden is ours and which belongs to next door
Cats are out door animals, they need exercise. Keeping a cat in just isn't natural. I do feel sorry for your goldfinches etc Clint, but at the end of the day it's nature. If anyone so much as threatened to hurt or trap my kitty I'd be mad as hell. Over here the RSPCA (Royal sdociety for the prevention of cruelty to animals) has a lot of clout and would have anyone engaged in some of the things I've read here in court, very likely ending up with a prison sentance.