That said, the devices that rely on color to alert potential prey work much better on birds (who have very good color vision) than they do on small mammals (who generally have quite poor vision). While your cat might look a bit silly wearing a rainbow bib, the scientific research on these products shows they reduce predation rates by roughly the same amount as bells. Sold under names like Birdsbesafe, these devices are brightly colored to alert potential prey to the cat’s presence before they can pounce. If you’re unwilling to put a bell on your furry buddy, you do have another option – cat bibs. You can also invest in a cat enclosure, which will allow your feline to enjoy the fresh air safely! Bell alternatives If you live in an area where your cat is at risk of being attacked by large animals you should probably be keeping your cat indoors anyway, or at least supervise their outdoor activities. While this is possible, given most predators acute hearing, it’s unlikely that the relatively quiet noise of a bell would make the difference between your cat getting detected or not.
Some owners worry that as well as alerting prey, a bell would also alert large predators to a cat’s presence.
While some cats with anxiety may not react well to the bell’s sound, it’s likely that the majority of cats simply won’t care. According to Veterinary PhD student Rachel Malakani, a collar bell will produce sound at about 50-60 dB, but studies have shown cats to be unaffected by sounds under 80 dB. But is this a safe and effective option? The pros and cons of bellsĪ number of studies have looked at whether or not bells help prey escape from cats, and the general consensus is yes! Bells on collars seem to reduce the amount of prey caught by about half, which could be enough to no longer pose a threat to ecosystems.Įffectiveness aside, many pet parents worry that a bell will hurt their cat’s ears. If you aren’t willing to curb your feline’s wanderlust, a common alternative is to attach a bell to her collar to alert wildlife of her approach. In the safety of your home, your feline’s exposure to prey animals will be limited to any mice that happen to get into your house. Of course, the easiest method of preventing your cat from killing birds and rodents is to keep her inside all the time. So what can you do to keep your cat from catching wildlife? There are two primary solutions to consider: keep her inside, or attach a deterrent (such as a bell) to her collar. But despite their generous intentions, hunting by domestic cats is affecting ecosystems and pushing some species to extinction. Consider these pros and cons before attaching a bell to your cat’s collar.ĭoes your cat bring you dead animals? While this common behavior is kind of yucky, it’s also sort of endearing – your cat is bringing you what she believes to be an excellent gift.
0 kommentar(er)
