On the cat disappearance issue, one shouldn't forget there may be neighbor
involvement with the missing cats. Neighbors have been known to tire of
unwanted cat visits and take the animals (without warning) to the local
animal shelter or have pursued other more lethal actions. People have been
known to often do their dirty little deeds during the cover of darkness.
The cats may also have ate something that didn't agree with them. I have
also heard of cats taking up residence with another family because the kids
picked the stray animal up and made it into their own pet. I'm not saying
any of these scenarios is the case here, but to just assume the cats were
killed by wildlife is ignoring an entirely plausible thread of
possibilities.

And please, by suggesting this as a possibility does NOT mean I approve of
such activities.

Andy Sorensen
ajstudio at ptialaska.net
Anchorage, Alaska