Suki,
I agree with you on keeping them indoors. There are so many ways they can get hurt. Dogs kill many cats each year. People kill many cats each year. The humane society kills many cats each year.
I know cats wreak havoc on birds and wildlife, but that is only natural, as you said. Recently, cats were irresponsibly painted as cold blooded killers. The truth is they have a hunting instinct that helps them to find food, if they are not fed by anyone.
The cat friends societies are trying to undo the damage of that recent campaign . Too many cat haters/uninformed will up the efforts to kill off feral colonies, instead of doing what is best and humane-trap, neuter, and release. killing off of ferals only results in a space for other cats to fill in.
I wish we could let our kitties outside, but unfortunately, there are people like my neighbor, who trapped the neighbor abandoned kitties I was trying to trap and neuter, and the humane society put them down the same day they came in. They were not tame, scared of strangers, tho they loved me, and they did not have a chance. I did save two of the litter, not without great begging, and watching of them every night, and bringing them into my covered porch, so they would not succumb to his traps.
sorry to hijack, but this is a subject near and dear to me.. the welfare of kitties everywhere >^..^<