The Polish Academy of Sciences officially classified domestic cats as an „invasive alien species.” The institute explained this unexpected decision by referring to the damage that domestic cats cause to wildlife and birds in particular.

The leading scientist behind the controversial theory is the biologist Wojciech Solarz. He gave an interview to the Associated Press (AP) last week to explain the broader context of this unusual scientific announcement. He told AP that the institute’s decision had provoked a backlash in Poland because it was mistakenly perceived as an encouragement to euthanise domestic cats. 

The Polish scientist explained that the institute had listed nearly 1,800 species as “invasive” on a national database run by the Institute of Nature Conservation. He emphasised that his organisation had never received objections to these designations until recently, when cats were added to the list.

Solarz continued by drawing attention to the fact that cats “meet 100% of the criteria” required to be added to the list, adding that there is “growing scientific consensus” that cats’ hunting and killing of birds and small mammals harms biodiversity. According to him, cats kill around 140 million birds in Poland every year.

The Polish Academy of Sciences quickly reacted to the public outrage. It published a special statement on its website to clarify its position. It said it was „opposed to any cruelty toward animals„.

Image: British Poles. Our editorial cat called „Gagatek”

Author: Sébastien Meuwissen