Cat lovers in Poland were outraged that domestic cats were classified as an invasive alien species by the Institute for Nature Conservation of the Polish Academy of Sciences, stating that the cats cause harm to bird populations and other wild species.
The domesticated cat, scientifically known as Felis catus, is included in the institute’s national database as the 1787th invasive species.
There is a growing scientific consensus that domestic cats have a detrimental effect on the diversity of the living world, given the number of mammals and birds they kill, explained Wojciech Solarz, a biologist at the Academy of Sciences, considered by the public. “Mainly responsible” for the amazing rating.
According to the scientist, cats “100 percent meet the criteria for classification as an invasive alien species.”
Wojciech Solares had to defend his position against a vet in a televised debate that day. According to author Dorota Sominska, author of The Happy Cat, cats are unjustly blamed for bird deaths, which have many other causes, such as air pollution or “bird-killing” facades in some city buildings.
According to the biologist who has been criticized, some media reports have given the wrong impression that the Nature Conservancy Institute recommends euthanasia for cats. The institute recently confirmed in a post on its website that it opposes all forms of cruelty to animals and that the classification of domestic cats complies with European Union directives.
The statement said the cat was probably domesticated about 10,000 years ago in the cradle of the great civilizations of the ancient Middle East, so from a purely scientific point of view, the animal can be considered an exotic species in Europe. According to the institute, they actually only wanted to recommend that owners leave cats outside for a shorter period of time during the birds’ breeding season.
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