Trapping Cats

Our local Arizona paper includes a "sound off" column that allows people to vent about anything. Here is what one person said:

"Cats are not considered domesticated animals. They are considered predatory animals by law. This means they can be freely trapped if they are on your property. I do believe that people should be humane. By the way, they can be disposed of as you see fit, although poisoning cats or shooting them within the city limits is a no-no. I do happen to know of people who have gotten so fed up that they have humanely trapped the cats, taken them out to the desert, shot them in the head humanely and disposed of their bodies. You may not like this, but that's the facts of life as far as the laws go."

Putting aside the obvious emotions this opinion arouses, I wonder if the author's understanding of the law and also his characterization of pet cats as being non-domesticated and predatory is accurate. He clearly is talking not about feral or wild cats, but people's pets. It seems to me that this would be analogous to someone who killed a horse for no other reason than that horse trespassed. The cat or the horse represent property belonging to someone, and the destruction of that property would be grounds for legal action-- not just for the loss of the property that is the pet but also the anguish such actions took. But I'm no lawyer. So, I would be interested in hearing from someone who does know the law in this situation.

Remember, intentionally killing a cat is a crime in all 50 states, and anti-cruelty laws apply to all cats, pet, abandoned, lost, and feral.