I will move the snakes when possible, but if I have to, I don't too much mind killing one. I'd rather have snakes than rats though.Had a yellow bellied water snake on the back porch eating toads. Out of bed, at dark, me in shorts and sandals and water snake looked like a Moccasin. After it coiled and struck at the dogs, dead snake. Stupid dogs. But they were protecting us. Glad we didn't have to run to vet for antivenom. I usually take the water snakes back to the water when they come up in the yard, if I'm not half asleep, bleary eyed with a dog trying to protect me.
That and I've got chicks on the ground. Glad the cat will be fine. Now to see where the snake is or if it was passing through.
Thank God we have cats around. Our first few years out here, we were overrun with moccasins, rat snakes, rattlers, and copperhead all. We don't see them as often now, so I guess our cat and the neighbors' cats have helped.