Everyone’s pet preference is different, some like dogs more, some like cats. However, we don’t call a pet an ‘invader’ just because we don’t like it. Kidding aside, cats that we can’t spend 5 minutes without watching their cute videos, especially on the Internet, have been defined as an ‘invasive alien species’ by the Polish Academy of Sciences.
Of course, hearing this, local animal lovers and ‘cat people’ went crazy and slammed the academy. So why did the academy define cats as an ‘invasive alien species’? Let’s take a look at the details of the news together.
‘Domestic cats are a threat to local wildlife’
In fact, cats aren’t the only animal species the academy has identified as an invasive alien species. Raccoons, moths, and mandarin ducks are also invaders, according to the Academy, and now cats have been added to the list, but why?
Cats pose an unpredictable risk to local wildlife in Poland, according to the Academy. According to one study, cats in Poland kill and eat 583.4 million mammals and 135.7 million birds each year. So the reason why the academy identifies cats as invasive alien species is because they endanger biodiversity.
Cat owners and cat lovers expressed outrage at this ‘invasive’ designation and complained that it would encourage the abuse of domestic cats. There were even reports in the local press that allegedly gave the false impression that the academy had called for the euthanasia of feral and other cats.
Do cats really pose a threat to biodiversity? What are you thinking? Please do not forget to share your thoughts with us in the comments.
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