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Cats Are Pets, Not Pests!

23,775 signatures toward our 30,000 Goal

79.25% Complete

Sponsor: The Animal Rescue Site

Labeling cats as pests will encourage violence against them. Advocate for humane TNR practices, instead!

Labeling cats as pests will encourage violence against them. Advocate for humane TNR practices, instead!

The Polish Academy of Sciences has classified domestic cats as an "invasive alien species1."

The institution wants to encourage cat owners to keep their cats inside where they will not harm birds and other wildlife, but it could also lead to mass culls or animal abuse toward domestic pets and feral cats alike.

Culls or mass killings are still used to control fast-breeding cat populations in the U.S. and abroad2. Some employ guns or poisons, making no discrimination between stray or feral cats and family pets, leaving cats dead, traumatized, or maimed3.

Defining cats as pests will encourage violence against the animals, which could be exacerbated by people who share that violence on social media4.

No cat deserves to die this way.

In contrast, trap-neuter-release (TNR) programs are a humane and effective way to maintain balance between wild cat populations and the birds and wildlife they prey on and disturb5. Stray or feral cats are caught, neutered or spayed, and then released back into the wild — where they can live happily without contributing to the next generation of cats6.

TNR programs work well if implemented correctly, so the Polish Academy of Sciences should be able to advocate for them without objection7.

No matter the intent of the institution's decision to classify cats as an "invasive alien species," announcements like this must be made with diligence and care, especially when other animal lives are on the line.

The Polish Academy of Sciences has stated that it is expressly against animal cruelty, but this is not enough. The institution must also make a clear statement on how to humanely treat and manage domestic cat populations8.

Sign the petition and demand that the Polish Academy of Sciences advocate for trap-neuter-release (TNR) programs for the management of cat populations!

More on this issue:

  1. Vanessa Gera, Associated Press (26 July 2022), "Polish institute classifies cats as alien invasive species."
  2. Tim Doherty, Dale Nimmo, Don Driscoll, Euan Ritchie, Ricky Spencer, The Conversation (19 February 2019), "Feral cat cull: why the 2 million target is on scientifically shaky ground."
  3. Francis Battista, Best Friends Animal Society (16 March 2016), "Orlando Sentinel publishes instructions on how to kill a cat."
  4. Brigette Supernova, Daily Beast (19 February 2016), "What Happens When Cat Abuse Goes Viral?."
  5. American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (2022), "A Closer Look at Community Cats."
  6. Alley Cat Allies (2022), "Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR)."
  7. The Humane Society of the United States (2022), "Our position on cats."
  8. Tommy McArdle, People (26 July 2022), "Polish Institute Classifies Cats As Invasive Species: 'I Don't Have Anything Against Cats'."
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The Petition:

To The Polish Academy of Sciences,

The decision by your organization to classify domestic cats as an invasive alien species could be far more detrimental to the safety and wellbeing of domestic cats than intended.

Encouraging cat owners to keep their cats inside where they will not harm birds and other wildlife is one thing, but far more people who do not see cats as desirable could be encouraged to instigate mass culls or animal abuse toward domestic pets and feral cats alike.

This furthers a cycle of suffering that will never end.

In contrast, trap-neuter-release (TNR) programs are a humane and effective way to maintain balance between wild cat populations and the birds and wildlife they prey on and disturb, without contributing to even more needless killing.

Your institution has stated that it is expressly against animal cruelty. As such, we the undersigned ask that you also make a clear statement on how to humanely treat and manage domestic cat populations by advocating for TNR programs over horrific mass culls.

Sincerely,

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Signatures: