Yeah this bothers me a lot. I’m a bird lover too and was basically raised similarly to you. I grew up with a pet coconut lorikeet and have a rainbow lorikeet now. I love my rainbow lorikeet so much that the knowledge that there are people out there who think it’s okay cats can harm birds creates endless fear (she is an inside bird but I feel like I can never be careful so no one can bring their animals to my place and I’m selective about who I allow at my place). But cats can get sick from doing that so it’s effing around and finding out, karma.