Hey, everybody. It is July. We're going to have new episodes of search engine for you in August, but this month we're rebroadcasting some of our absolute favorite classic episodes. This episode was from pretty early in our show's run. And the story in particular was less listened to than at least we think it deserved. It's just a very weird, complicated, unintended consequences,

no easy moral choices story. Also, it's about animals, a topic which if you've listened to

search engine, you know we care deeply about animals. It also includes my favorite expert voice

we've ever had on the show, a very surprising voice,

who I do not want to spoil for you in case this is your first time listening.

My theory about this one is that it did not get listened to enough because we may have given it a slightly two-anidine title.

It originally aired as, what are we going to do about all these cats?

So we're giving it a slightly spicier title to see if that more deeply pleases the gods of the

internet. But other than the title, you are hearing this story as it originally aired.

After these ads, our story.

Thank you. The The I recently learned that the Polish Academy of Sciences has declared that cats are an invasive alien species.

Invasive species are foreign species who are introduced to an ecosystem, and rather than benignly adapting

to it, cause damage and disruption. The Burmese pythons who terrorize the Florida Everglades,

the feral hawks who wreak havoc through Texas. But there was something strange about hearing

that cats had been added to the ranks. It wasn't just Polish scientists making that determination, though.

Globally, there appears to be some sort of cat backlash brewing.

It's 10 p.m. Do you know where your cat is?

In Iceland, cats have been put under curfew.

One city has imposed an outright ban on outdoor cats.

Well, controversy has erupted in Canterbury over a children's hunting competition.

In New Zealand, a contest was announced where children would compete for a cash prize for killing feral cats.

Hunters under 14 are being offered $250 for whoever can kill the most feral cats.

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