A Polish scientific institute has classified domestic cats as “invasive alien species“, citing the damage they cause to birds and other wildlife.
The backlash from some cat lovers has put the study’s lead author on the defensive.
Wojciech Solarz, a biologist at the state-run Polish Academy of Sciences, was unprepared for the public criticism that followed his decision to include the “happy cat“, the scientific name of the domestic cat, in the national database managed by the Instituto da Conservação da Natureza, da Academia.
The database already has another 1,786 species listed without objection, Solarz told the Associated Press on Tuesday.
But the 1,787th “invasive alien species” nonetheless belongs to a creature so beloved that he is often honored in cemeteries that exist in Poland reserved for dogs and cats.
Solarz referred to what he said was the growing scientific consensus on the negative impact domestic cats have on biodiversitygiven the number of birds and mammals they hunt and kill.
The criteria for the inclusion of the cat in the category of invasive alien species”is 100% fulfilled by the cat”, said.
In an exchange of arguments on independent television TVN, the biologist argued with a veterinarian who questioned Solarz’s conclusion about the dangers posed by cats to wildlife.
Dorota Suminska, author of a book entitled “the happy cat” (“The Happy Cat”), pointed to other causes of reduced biodiversity, including environmental pollution and urban building facades that can kill birds when they fly.
“Ask yourself if man is on the list of invasive alien speciesSuminska said, arguing that too much blame is unjustifiably placed on cats.
Solarz told the AP that some media reports created the false impression that the Institute was advocating euthanasia for cats.
Earlier this month, his Institute posted a text on its website, citing the “controversy” and seeking to clarify its position. The Institute noted that “opposed any cruelty to animalsand argued that its classification was in line with the European Union guidelines.
Regarding the categorization of the cat as an extraterrestrial, the Institute pointed out that the “Felis catus” was domesticated about ten thousand years ago in the cradle of the great civilizations of the ancient Middle East, what makes the species foreign to Europe from a strictly scientific point of view.
The Institute also emphasized that all it recommended was that cat owners limit the time their animals spend outside during the breeding season.
“I have a dog, but I have nothing against cats,” Solarz said.
Source: Observadora
