Sigh, the ever perplexing question. Cats seem to be a very natural way to control your rodent pest population, but on the other hand there are so many dangers to the cats' wellbeing. As you mention thoughtless neighbours, who allow their dogs to roam unsupervised, and that is a truly horrible thought.

What about keeping a shot gun handy, loaded with rocksalt? that stings, and the neighbourhood dogs might learn to stay clear of your place.

These days there are a lot more cars and trucks on the road that in previous times, so these also pose a risk to wandering felines.

In our urban neighbourhood, no one keeps livestock, but a lot of people allow their kitties to roam, and these often fall prey to natural predators that are also roaming the area - Coyotes, Coy-Wolves and Foxes. The cat owners get really mad about these attacks, but when reminded that letting their cats roma is what leads to the problem, they get mad.

I love your pictures of the Zombie kittens.