New research has found that cats wearing collars fitted with a bell or sonic alarm catch and kill up to a third less garden wildlife.
The research was carried out by the
RSPB in conjunction with volunteers up and down the country who own cats. The results showed that cats equipped with a bell returned 41% fewer birds and 34% fewer mammals than those with a plain collar. Those wearing an electronic sonic device returned 51% fewer birds and 38% fewer mammals, compared with cats wearing a plain collar. The results are particularly interesting because they show that good results can be obtained with a plain, and cheap, bell. Sonic devices were found to be more effective but at around £20 a shot, they are much more expensive - particularly if your cat (like mine) is apt to lose its collar from time to time.
