A Polish scientific institute has labeled domestic cats (Felis catus) as an "invasive alien species" due to the growing consensus that they cause damage to birds and other wildlife as they hunt and kill them.
The Polish Academy of Sciences explained in a statement that they identified house cats as aliens in Europe and Poland because they were first domesticated in the Middle East about 10,000 years ago. So, should people not have cats in their homes?
Domesticated Cats Poses Threat to Local Biodiversity
Business Insider reported that domesticated cats were labeled as "aliens" because they were bred in the ancient Middle East and identified as "invasive species" because of their predatory threat to local biodiversity. Wojciech Solarz, a biologist at the Polish Academy of Sciences, said that house cats 100% met the criteria to be classified as invasive alien species.
Domesticated cats are now the 1,787th animal listed on the database of the institute after this classification, which included other animals like Japanese knotweed, raccoons, clearing moths, and mandarin ducks.
The Academy has cited the 2019 study titled "Cats Kill Millions of Vertebrates in Polish Farmland Annually," published in the journal Global Ecology and Conservation, to back up its claims and stated that domesticated cats pose an unpredictable risk to local wildlife.
The study also shows that in Poland alone, cats kill and eat about 48.1 and million and 583.4 million mammals, respectively, and about 8.9 million to 135.7 million birds every year. Mr. Solarz added that the database has 1,786 other species listed as invasive alien species with no objections.
Backlash From Classifying Cats As 'Invasive Alien Species'
After that announcement, the Academy did not expect to receive backlash from cat lovers and pet owners who were outraged at the classification. They were concerned that this would incite abuse or mistreatment of domesticated cats. More so, it did not help that some media reports have given the impression that the institute was calling for the domesticated cats to be euthanized.
The Academy's Facebook page was attacked by people who expressed their concerns and left comments saying that the classification was "simply stupid and harmful" and that the institute does not deserve its name.
Mr. Solarz spoke to the Associated Press (AP) and said they were not expecting such a response from the public, especially since no other entry has caused such an emotional reaction. He said it was a misunderstanding as the institute only recommended cat owners limit their pet's time outside during bird breeding season.
He also talked to cat champion Dorota Suminska, a veterinarian and the author of the book called "The Happy Cat," on national TV. Suminska pointed out that cats were unfairly blamed and asked the audience if humans are the "non-invasive alien species."
The Academy has addressed the classification in a Facebook post and emphasized that they are against animal cruelty, explaining that the classification does not mean they warrant any abuse against cats.
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