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I think what every “study” I have read on the cats here, fails to properly address, in depredation, is the cats that have come to “favor” certain foods, in my opinion, got that way because they are pushed from the areas that have abundant game they would normally be after.
We had several cats spotted inside city limits in the high desert area, inside of about 18 months, that were obviously underfed, yet there was plenty of game in the surrounding areas. I can hardly remember a deer hunt anywhere in the Angeles National Forest, where there were not lion tracks. This in addition to the black bears.
These cats would rather be anywhere than in city limits, and only go there to eat. The folks you mentioned with the goats have their opinion, I do not want them eliminated by any means. We see lions on occasion where I live now, but they cause zero livestock issues that I have heard, and we talk pretty regular. I know one cattle rancher that runs 24,000 acres and he has no problem with lions. They leave cattle alone as long as there is ample deer. If the cats are overpopulating, the deer herd suffers and the cats look elsewhere for food. Thus the need for control, in my opinion.
Like I said, I really think they prefer to be nowhere near us.