The debate for and against the fate of the felines has been raging since it was revealed plans are afoot to cull the cats.

Those who have been going out of their way to care for and feed the cats no doubt have their hearts in the right place.

But to continue to feed them and encourage them to breed may not be the kindest thing to do.

While the cats are receiving food and help, this will inevitably lead to more litters of kittens, and the problem will just get worse.

Research being conducted by the NESP Threatened Species Recovery Hub has found that in Australia every day, cats kill more than a million birds.

A report on the study in the Sydney Morning Herald points out that this frightening figure has now been eclipsed by the number of reptiles killed by feral cats.

The second stage of the study is showing that 1.8 million reptiles fall victim to the feline predators every day.

In years of abundance, feral cats alone could eat more than 3.5 billion reptiles in the wild.

While it could be argued that the plaza cats are not doing their share of this damage, having food scraps at their disposal, stray or homeless cats are only going to contribute to the feral population.

The study is yet to reveal how many mammals are killed by feral cats each year.

So, while we can have sympathy for these feline orphans, the damage wreaked on the environment and on endangered native birds and animals by cats is devastating.

Like all stories involving domesticated animals, one animal is really to blame – the human.

Rumours abound that some people have been adding to the cat community by dumping unwanted kittens and cats in the plaza. 

This is irresponsible on many levels and is also incredibly cruel. 

Some have pointed the finger at the high cost of desexing of pets –but the bottom line is, if you can't afford to look after a pet, don't get one. 

If you have a pet cat, keep it inside at night so it can't go hunting for native prey. 

Remember, many of those cute cats you see in the plaza were once someone's pet.