As a cat owner (or more aptly as one owned by cats) I agree with the article.
I’ve watched our own cats just sit and watch mice play. For some reason or another they will go after a bird before a mouse.
I have no experience with rats (thank God), but they are considerably larger and do bite, which may put hesitation into the cat. And their willingness to kill is less likely if they are fed by people.
But I would say that the common rodent rats (Rattus norvegicus & rattus rattus)are not NYC’s biggest problems. The larger rat, democratus scummus, is much more threatening to mankind. The only effective weapon against this larger rat has been Donaldus Maximus.
“As a cat owner (or more aptly as one owned by cats) I agree with the article.”
If you really want to be owned by an animal, just adopt a Great Dane. Mine has his own couch and has turned me into a dog servant. After all, it’s taken several cats to come to own you; it’s taken only one Great Dane to do it to me.