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Poland has made an interesting decision about a household pet that's really starting to divide households. That's because Poland has added regular old household cats to its list of "invasive alien species," citing that they have become a dangerous risk to its local wildlife.
According to The Polish Academy of Sciences, cats have had a negative affect on the overall biodiversity and ecosystems in Poland.
The academy states on their site: "The domestic cat, Felis catus, was domesticated probably around 10,000 years ago in the cradle of the great civilizations of the ancient Near East, stretching from the Nile Valley to southern Mesopotamia. Therefore, from a purely scientific perspective, in Europe, and therefore also in Poland, it can be considered an alien species."
According to Polish officials, a study recently found that in Poland, household cats kill and eat approximately upwards of 135.7 million birds every year.
A biologist at the academy, Wojciech Solarz, told the Associated Press that "the criteria for including the animal among alien invasive species are 100% met by the cat."
Solarz also noted, “I have a dog, but I don't have anything against cats."
However, not everyone took too kindly to the new classification which was announced in July, namely cat lovers have voiced backlash over it, causing the academy to address the controversy in a post on social media.
According to the Facebook post, officials clarified that certain provisions don't apply to cats including "elimination, isolation and population control," however, they did stress that cat owners should assist in reducing potentialy negative impacts that the kitties may have on nature.
Officials have suggested limiting the time that your feline friends spend outdoors, specifically during bird breeding season.