Why are cats considered an invasive ‘exotic’ species in Poland?

Scientists from the Polish Academy of Sciences have just added domestic cats (felis catus) to their list of “invasive alien species” (Invasive Alien Species, in English).

According to a statement, the term “exotic” is because it was domesticated in the ancient Middle East (a territory that, from a European perspective, is foreign), while “invasive” is because they have a “negative influence on the native biodiversity.

The Academy has compiled a list of animals they consider to be an “invasive alien species” that includes Japanese knuckles, raccoons, pale-winged moths and mandarin ducks. The database already had another 1,786 species included.

Citing a study showing that cats in Poland kill and eat between 48 and 583 million mammals, and 9 and 136 million birds a year, they claim that the species is “an unpredictable risk to local wildlife”.

The biologist of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Wojciech Solarz He said that the criteria for considering the cat among the invasive alien species “are met 100 percent by the cat.”

Solarz noted that some media reports created the mistaken impression that the institute was calling for the euthanasia of feral cats and others.

Therefore, the institute published on its website citing the controversy and clarifying its position. The institute emphasized that they opposed any cruelty to animals and that the classification responds to the guidelines of the European Union.

The institute also recommended that cat owners limit their pets’ time outdoors during the bird-breeding season.

Source-larepublica.pe