Why would you automatically doubt this? You are aware there are other places outside where you live, and different things happen there, right?

It’s entitled of YOU too think that the land, plants, wildlife, and ecology these creatures have lived off of for millennia belong to you. We all share a planet, it’s not up to humans to be the arbiters of who can have what and how much and at what time etc etc .

Cats may not be sapient animals, but they are sentient.