Protecting our wild kin

 

 

Colourful Cat Collar Sleeves to Help Warn Wildlife

These handmade, brightly coloured fabric sleeves slip over your cat’s usual belled collar. They are intended to help make cats more visible to birds and other wildlife while outdoors.

Each one is made by Mary and her family using carefully selected second-hand materials, giving quality fabric a new life. Colours will vary depending on what we have available, but they will always be bright and cheerful.

A 2015 peer-reviewed study found that brightly coloured collar covers were associated with significantly lower bird predation by pet cats, helping birds detect cats earlier.

No single solution is perfect, but small, thoughtful changes can make a real difference. Keeping cats indoors is the most effective way to protect wildlife, though that is not always practical for every household. Where it is not practical, bringing cats in before dusk and keeping them indoors until after dawn can greatly reduce hunting. Changing feeding times can sometimes make this transition easier. A short daily play session (around 10 minutes) may also help satisfy hunting instincts.

We love our cats, but they are often one of the biggest local threats to wildlife. This is one simple way to support both.