Native snakes tend to be much more effective rodent predators than introduced cats. Snakes can crawl into rodent burrows. Cats also kill off the snakes, as well as native birds. It takes quite a while for snake populations to recover after cats are removed. My desert neighborhood is, sadly, a dumping ground for unwanted cats and kittens. Most don't last long among the coyotes. A few survive for several months, and kill off the king snakes. Rodent populations are higher here when cats are present, and for a few years afterwards, until snake populations recover. Leo Martin Zone ? Phoenix Arizona USA _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/…