Photo by Mark Allen

"Anti-hunting bib keeps cats in check"
Wednesday, 18 April 2007
by Michelle Carr Cosmos Online

Read the full article here

SYDNEY: Domestic cats kill an estimated 100 million native Australian animals each year. Now, a study shows that a brightly-coloured 'bib' attached to a cat's collar can reduce hunting effectiveness by 72 per cent.

Cats are believed to have pushed some Australian species extinct on islands and contributed to the dissapearance of ground-living birds and marsupials on the mainland too.

Domestic cats alone have been estimated to catch an average of 32 animals a year and feed on 347 different birds, mammals and reptiles.

Because of this, pet cats have a poor image in Australia and ownership is in decline, said ecologist Mike Calver at Murdoch University in Perth, Western Australia.

In 2005 Calver was searching the internet for discussion groups on responsible cat ownership, when he chanced across a site advertising a brightly-coloured fabric 'CatBib' that its inventors claimed significantly reduced predation.

Intrigued to discover what impact the product could have on declining native wildlife, Calver asked the manufacturer for some bibs and set up a trial with Perth cat owners. His study is set for publication in an upcoming edition of the journal Biological Conservation.

Over six weeks his team monitored the behaviour of 56 cats. Those chosen were known to kill an average of one or more animals every three weeks – and most lived near native bushland. During the trial each cat spent three weeks with a bib and three without. Dead prey bought home by cats was collected and identified and instances where prey was rescued and released were recorded.

Calver found that the bibs stopped 81 per cent of cats in the trials from catching birds, 33 per cent from catching reptiles and frogs and 45 percent from catching mammals.

Overall he found a 72 per cent reduction in the number of birds killed by cats wearing the bib. This compares favourably with the 34 per cent reduction found for cats wearing bells alone in a 2005 U.K. study.

"It's a very, very good solution for cat owners who are concerned about the hunting behaviour of their cats," said Calver. "Alone or in combination with a bell, these deterrent devices may lead to reductions of [an average of] 50 per cent in the numbers of prey taken by pet cats and may stop some from hunting altogether," he said.

Made from tough, lightweight neoprene, the bibs are attached to collars with velcro. According to Calver, they are safe for cats when fitted to a safety collar and used outside - and the majority grew completely accustomed to wearing them within a few days.

According to Cat Goods Inc., the U.S. manufacturer of the bibs, they work by interfering with a cat's hunting skills and act as a barrier between predator and prey.

But Calver and his team also studied videos of the cats whilst they were wearing the bibs and found that they were able to climb, jump and pounce as usual. "Their movement was uninhibited," he said. "The bib simply helps to alert wildlife to an approaching predator and works as a visual warning." The bibs could be a viable way to help protect our natural wildlife said Jane Speechley with the animal welfare group RSPCA in Canberra. "If the product can reduce the impact of cats on native wildlife without adversely affecting the cat, we'd certainly see that as a good thing."

However, "we'd still support secure outdoor cat enclosure as an ideal alternative," as that also helps prevent risks to cats posed by allowing them to roam, she said.

"ASK THE VET"
A veterinary advice column by Dr. Jeff Nichol Albuquerque Journal, Monday, October 2, 2006.

Dr. Jeff Nichol on ways to reduce inter-cat aggression: "Cats are not like the rest of us. While their groups have hierarchies, most have little need to hang with their homies.

The indoor cat has other instinctive requirements like hunting, stalking and pouncing on prey. If another indoor cat is weak and helpless, the aggressor cat can't resist. To stay out of trouble, indoor cats need more vertical space.

Considering your cat population, I suggest at least two floor-to-ceiling carpet-covered cat trees with hidey holes. Locate them near windows for the bird's eye view. When a cat needs to attack, you can share stalk and pounce toys like feathers on a stick.

With more of his primal needs met, he'll be less inclined to use a weaker cat as a rodent. Add a bell to his collar and a CatBib (catgoods.com), a must-have feline fall fashion accessory, and the aggressor cat will find predation of any sort difficult.

To reduce the risk of urine wars, you should have one litter pan for each cat plus one. You can relax the masses with a Feliway diffuser, a calming pheromone, available at many pet specialty stores. If medications are necessary for the aggressor cat, try paroxetine. Buspirone can help the weaker cat be less anxious.

"Critter Watch"
A wildlife column by Rich Landers The Spokesman Review, July 16, 2006.

With a new hatch of young birds bringing song to our yards, it's worth pointing out, once again, that in the United States alone, cats kill a million or more wild birds EVERY DAY.

"Not my Kitty!" you say. Yeah, sure. If you insist on letting your cat run free to slaughter birds, consider breaking out of the denial phase with a CatBib. The light flexible neoprene bib is easily attached to the cat's collar.

A six-week study on 56 known bird-molesting cats indicated the product could stop 81 percent of the cats from catching birds.

The bib was invented by Sue Mandeville, a bird-feeding cat-lover, as a way to keep her own three hunting cats from catching birds while outdoors.

"ASK THE VET"
A veterinary advice column by Dr. Jeff Nichol Albuquerque Journal, Monday, June 5, 2006.

Bird savers: Remember the question two weeks ago regarding the bird killing cat? I suggested an Invisible Fence in part because it will keep pets in their yards and out of trouble.

A reader has an option worth consideration. "To preserve the bird population, Simon the Diamon always wears a Cat "bib" that attaches to his collar and breaks his striking stride, but otherwise does not interfere with his movement. Occasionally, he wears it like a cape as he plays "SuperCat." Since we started dressing him for his forays, he has not caught a bird, and the neighbors think he is a laugh-riot. The Web site is catgoods.com."

I really appreciate hearing about useful alternatives like this. Thank you to Simon's person for writing. Dr. Jeff Nichol cares for pets with behavior and health disorders at VCA Wyoming Animal Hospital in Albuquerque.

"CatBib birds' lifesaver"
Free Press Leader, January 24, 2006, Knoxville, Victoria, Australia

An Upwey resident has discovered what he says may be the perfect solution to cats killing wildlife in the hills.

Melvyn Bowler said several neighbours in his block of flats regularly fed parrots and raised concern when he and his two felines moved in. Mr. Bowler said he'd seen his younger cat, Bonnie, stalking birds and after several were found dead around the flats he knew he was in trouble. "I'd just got Bonnie from Animal Aid and I knew from one look at her she had a keen interest in birds,"Mr. Bowler said. "I tried bells, mirrors, reflective things, you name it, but nothing seemed to work."

Frustrated, Mr. Bowler said he began searching the internet for devices that could help prevent his cat from attaching, his lengthy research eventually leading him to CatBib. The American-made rubber bib attaches to a cat's collar and interferes with the animal's hand-eye coordination as the cat lunges for the bird.

The CatBib was introduced to Australia in 1999 but is not readily available on the local market. Mr. Bowler said he had not found any feathers of birds since buying the device recently. "It doesn't stop her climbing, jumping and getting around, but it's a barrier when she lifts her paws to strike," Mr. Bowler said. "It means she has freedom during the day and I can put her out and have an easy mind. It's terrific."

So impressed was Mr. Bowler by the bib, he bought up big and has several spares available for cat owners in the hills who are desperate to stop their cats from killing birds and wildlife.

"Cat off the prowl"
by Stephen Anderson, nature columnist. Register-Guard March 11, 2004

Local bird and cat lover aims to stop furry friends from preying on feathered ones.

Have you ever bought a product you wanted everybody to know about? Something that can improve the world?

A regular reader of this column did, and she put me in touch with a woman and her invention for saving birds. She and her husband love birds, and they feed hundreds in their garden. She also loves her cats, and was dismayed to discover many birds falling prey to them. Keeping the cats indoors wasn't an option, because when they tried that, the cats began to mark their territories in the house, instead of in the litter box. She researched the problem and discovered that 4.4 million birds are killed by cats every year. Even that dismaying estimate likely is low, as there are approximately 60 million cats in this country, and many of them are allowed to hunt outside every day.

Some cat owners think birds being stalked by cats isn't a problem. Predators prey and their target species adapt. That's true up to a point, but the problem with domestic cats is that they were introduced by early settlers to this continent, and the native birds evolved with defensive trategies that didn't include them.

What about bobcats, you say? There were here during that evolution. Studies show that bobcats are poor at preying on birds, and in fact, their diet is two-thirds rabbits and hares, with most of the remainder being mice, ground squirrels, gophers and muskrats. Also, just think about how many bobcats you've seen in your life. Compare that with the number of domestic cats you see in your neighborhood. Between that number of cats, and the reduction in habitat for many birds, we have losses that are unacceptable.

She solved her problem with a device she patented as the CatBib. The CatBib attaches to a cat's collar and looks like a bib. It hinders the lunge that cats make at the end of their stalk, which seems to slow cats just enough for the birds to evade capture.

The CatBib is a simple mechanical solution that is easy to use; it doesn't interfere with any of the outdoor activities of a cat' and best of all, it prevents cats from killing birds. Realizing the potential of her invention, she began local production of the CatBib, and it is available online.

She has drawn customers as far away as Canada, Europe and Australia, as birders everywhere hear about this device. The CatBib is durable, washable, and comes in a variety of colors, including "purrple." It would make an excellent gift for the cat owner you know. We would love to see one on every cat in the neighborhood. You can bet the birds would love to see that too.

"Purring predators eyeing the bird feeders"
Elinor Miller - Cape Cod Times - Nov. 26, 1999

When you read the title of this column, you probably thought it was going to be about the hawks that make frequent raids on just about everyone's feeders, especially during the winter. Well, you are partially right; I will get to that topic, but before I do, there is actually a far more serious predator that is decimating out wild bird population.

Cats. Yes, cats. The superb hunting ablilities of these free-ranging felines make them a real threat to our native species. Believe it or not, it is well documented that cats kill more than a billion birds every year. Before we had agencies that monitored our wildlife, most people probably thought that it was just a natural thing for cats to kill birds and that letting a house cat out for a few hours of fresh air and recreation every day couldn't possibly have any effect on bird populations. Birds are threatened by extensive loss of habitat, both where they breed and where they winter, as well as the effects of poisons used on lawns, gardens and agricultural lands. Add in a burgeoning cat population and it's clear that we must take a variety of measures to stop the loss of our birdlife. Cats are natural hunters, and if your cat is a hunter, then your cat is part of the problem.

Fortunately, there is a simple, inexpensive, safe and benign way to stop your cat from killing birds. It's a device called the CatBib. Attached to your cat's collar, it's a triangular piece of foam (broader at the bottom) that hangs loosely over a cat's chest and interferes with the line of sight, timing and coordination needed to catch a bird.

Strange looking it may be, but look at what is accomplishes. When a cat lifts its paws to catch a bird, it simultaneously lifts the CatBib which is then between the cat's line of sight and the bird. I'd say that was pretty clever, wouldn't you? To find out more or to order a CatBib for your cats, go to http://www.catgoods.com, e-mail catbib@catgoods.com

Now on to the hawks you were expecting would be covered...

"Cat's 'bib' May Keep Birds Safe"
Sunday Mail newspaper, Adelaide, South Australia, September 1999
by David Valente

An obscure American invention may prove the answer to the problem of cats killing native wildlife.

Studies have shown more than four million native animals across Australia are killed each year by domestic and feral cats. But Belair cat Benny has not attacked a single bird since his owner, Shane, fitted him with a CatBib more than three weeks ago.

Shane, a bird lover, had often been upset by the dead and dying birds Benny left around the house, but the final straw came in July when Benny proudly carried a still-breathing rosella into the kitchen. That led Shane on a frustrating search for a solution to Benny's killing. But until he found the CatBib on the Internet, the best advice he could find was to "keep the cat inside all day and all night".

Benny is the first cat in Australia to try the device - a simple, light foam-rubber and neoprene bib that attaches to a cat's collar and stops attacks by interferring with paw-eye coordination.

Shane faced a family fight to fit Benny with the CatBib. His fiance, Sue, and her children, Dean and Ashley, and his son, Victor all thought it would be cruelly uncomfortable. "But it's not uncomfortable for him at all. The cat does not even know it's got it on. It lounges around and sleeps and climbs trees and does everything a cat does normally," Shane said. "He purrs when he's got it on. The neighbors are quite impressed and are thinking of getting one for their cat." He said now they had the best of both worlds with a happy cat and safety for the local birdlife. Now that he knows birds will be safe, Shane, a former native bird breeder, wants to put nest boxes into the trees around his house.

Ms. Sabine Kloss, of the RSPCA, said the society would "watch with interest" the effectiveness of the new product and be thrilled if it protected native wildlife without harming cats.

Oregon Woman Creates Bird-Saving Invention
In the Business of Saving Birds

Faced with the possibility of giving away her three cats in order to put an end to the killing of wild birds in her backyard, Sue Mandeville wondered if she couldn't come up with some way to stop her hunting cats from catching birds while outdoors. Her solution is the CatBib, invented in 1997 and now marketed internationally through an internet business called Cat Goods at www.catgoods.com.

The first model of the CatBib was made from a piece of her husband's lace-up leather boot. Tying the leather to the cat's collar, she let the cat outdoors. Although the cat did not catch a bird for the rest of the week, the stiff leather contraption was so uncomfortable for the cat that Mandeville sought a more flexible material; something more comfortable, but still able to keep birds safe.

The CatBib is constructed of neoprene-a flexible, soft, water-resistant, lightweight and easy-to-clean material that is easily attached to a cat's collar. When asked how it works, Mandeville explains the triangular shaped "bib" attaches to the cat's collar with a hook and loop and that it "gently interferes with the cat's keen bird catching skills, just as the cat strikes out for the bird. It doesn't interfere with any other activity except catching birds."

In 2005, Michael Calver, a professor at the School of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology at Murdoch University in Perth, Western Australia was searching for information about responsible pet ownership on the Internet when he came across the Cat Goods, Inc. website. He contacted Ms. Mandeville and set up an independent, scientific trial to test the effectiveness of the CatBib.

After a six-week paired-study, Calver concluded, "The CatBib is a safe and effective means of reducing predation by pet cats, especially when birds are the prey." Trial results showed CatBibs stopped 81% of the 56 known bird-catching cats from catching birds. Professor Calver may also set up a follow-up study in 2007 to see if the CatBib can reduce cat fights after analysis of the results showed that of 11 cats involved in cat fights during the study, only 2 of them were wearing a CatBib.

Buoyed by the Australian study and testimonials from over 80 cat owners, Cat Goods, Inc., a small online business in Springfield, Oregon, continues to grow as more and more cat owners discover the CatBib to help them save birds.