Cat lovers are up in arms about a well-respected Polish scientific institute’s decision to classify domestic cats as an “invasive Alien Species”. Scientists say they weren’t prepared for the public outcry and they defended their decision, citing the damage they cause to birds and other wildlife. They described the growing scientific consensus that domestic cats have a harmful impact on biodiversity, given the number of birds and mammals they hunt and kill. The criteria for including the cat to be an alien invasive species are 100% met. The claim that cats kill about 140 million birds in Poland each year.
They did stress that they are not calling for the elimination of the house cat species, but they are recommending that cat owners limit the time their pets spend outdoors during bird breeding season.
