I’m new here too but have already had some kind folks answer some of my questions. I can confirm that the bass could have eaten your cats. When I stocked mine last year I was in the process of thinning out my bass. Within days of stocking I caught three different bass with catfish tails sticking out of their gullet. One of them actually had two tails sticking out. I was told by the guy I got them from that bass won’t eat cats because of the spines. Now I realize that’s laughable. Thankfully for me I think I managed to thin the bass out quickly enough that some of my cats survived. I strongly recommend feeding them. It’s cheap and fun and the growth rate is remarkable. It’s also a great way to estimate mortality and see the overall health of the surviving fish.