A stray cat and her litter may be expelled from a history museum in northwestern China’s Shaanxi province after the mother cat attacked a child who attempted to play with her kittens.

The order for expulsion allegedly came after the Forest of Stone Steles Museum was criticized by the mother of the injured child. According to an anonymous insider, the museum may now opt to expel all stray cats in order to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future, Xi’an Evening Post reported.

On July 21, the museum wrote on its official Weibo that the stray cats, though well-known and beloved, are nevertheless undomesticated. They are wild animals and should not be treated as household pets, the museum wrote, warning visitors not to pet the animals.

“Please do not put the cats in danger for your own pleasure,” the post warned.

The situation has captured the attention of netizens, many of who are calling for the museum to keep its feline “mascots.” Some also blamed the visitors for making trouble and putting the innocent cats at risk of homelessness.

Stray cats have wandered through the museum for several years now. They are looked after by the museum's employees and visitors. A yellow and white striped cat is especially famous, as it was allegedly the first feline visitor to the museum, and visitors and employees often post pictures of the cat online.

On July 22, the museum reported that it has put up signs to warn people of the cats’ presence in a final attempt to allow them to stay. The Weibo post was reposted by Shaanxi's provincial cultural heritage bureau, with the added comment that the museum and its cats are a good match. The bureau expressed hope that the cats would be allowed to stay.