I have only today heard about the cat bib. It shows you how big the internet is. The “cat bib” is a device that stops the domestic cat catching birds and other species of animal, and killing them. It is a triangular shaped piece of soft, washable material that hangs from the cat’s collar. It simply presents a barrier between prey and cat. “It defeats all the cat’s stealth and cunning at exactly the moment it’s needed…” It is meant to be worn when your cat goes out but can be left on all the time as it is claimed to not interfere with the normal activities of a domestic cat except hunting.
The 64,000-dollar question is: Is it a good idea? Well, it depends on how we relate to our cats and nature in general. As I see it there are two ways of approaching this product.
FOR: The manufacturers say that it is 81% successful and therefore is effective in stoping cats killing birds. This is a good thing many would argue. Cats kill billions of birds some people say. We must protect native species from the invasive species that is the domestic cat. However, people, including bird conservationists over egg the cake when discussing the data about cats killing birds. It is not as bad as they make out. The fact is we don’t have reliable information on the impact of the domestic and feral cat on native animal species, despite what people claim.
NOT SO SURE: As far as I can see no one has asked what the cat might feel with a fairly large piece of material hanging from his or her collar (your cat will have to wear a collar to use this). And how does the cat react to being prevented from expressing natural behaviour? Does the cat bib stress the cat slightly? We need to ask ourselves how we might feel if a major part of our natural activity was terminated at a stroke.
The cat bib seems to be one more product that further domesticates the domestic cat and reduces its natural behaviour. How far do we go to modify our cat’s natural behaviour and appearance? Breeders have created some odd looking purebred cats and this product seems to be designed to assuage our guilt at knowing that our cat might kill birds. This seems to be a bit similar to declawing only much more humane of course. But it is designed to modify behaviour or more precisely to curtail the effectiveness of natural behaviour. Declawing stops natural cat scratching behaviour and the cat bib stops natural cat hunting behaviour. How unnatural do we want our cats?
In defence of our cat companions, the cat bib looks wrong to me. I certainly would not buy one. It also looks ugly on a cat. A minor point perhaps but a point nonetheless.
But I see the argument. It is good from the bird’s standpoint and from the standpoint of protecting wild species of animal. The more important point is that people can do things that have a far greater impact on increasing bird population numbers without interfering with a cat’s natural behaviour.
We can stop damaging bird habitats. By far the greatest damage to all wildlife is due to habitat loss which in turn is due to human population growth and increased human activity. Can’t we talk about the unmentionable, human population growth, and deal with that? We will have to one day.
Also, as mentioned, we need to recognise that the killing of birds by domestic cats is highly exaggerated in my opinion.
In conclusion, I understand the reason behind manufacturing this product but don’t like the way a domestic cat’s behaviour is being further modified. If we want to protect wildlife we should first look at ourselves and ask what we can do. It is careless and convenient to blame to cat.
The real solution is spay and neuter. Billions of birds killed by cats?! I doubt it. But, any number would surely be reduced by bring the cat overpopulation under control. In the end, the real overpopulation problem is that of humans. The major loss of birds is from habitat destruction caused by humans. Obviously, humans are also the reason for the cat overpopulation. Let’s get the real source of the problem right, here. Bibs? ….finger in the dike.
Correct and thanks Kit.
I cannot believe the loopy support of this utterly ridiculous invention. Cats hunt birds. It’s an ecological issue, and an important one, but chaining an outdoor cat to a cumbersome hunk of plastic or fabric, that goes around it’s neck, is beyond irresponsible. The woman who invented this thing is a narcissistic nation, and the company manufacturing this thing is even more detestable.
I am an Ethologist, with over 40 years of experience working with, studying, and rehabbing animals. Let me clearly explain what this bib does: by putting it on your cat, you are severely compromising your cats ability to defend itself or escape from the myriad of dangers they face outdoors. It’s a matter of when, not if, that leads to injury or death. I am utterly floored anyone with support this lazy and dangerous approach to the problem. Research and statistical data have proven time and time again that using bells radically reduces successful hunting of birds by cats in feral colonies I wont even try to rationalize this to people who actually choose to keep cats as pets, bc not only should you know better, but you have a responsibility to both your cat and nature- by using this, you’re failing one. You’re endangering them as well. Shame on you.
If you don’t want them to miss out on nature, build an enclosure. Otherwise, get them inside. It is absolute bullwhark that 2 cats can’t be socialized to live together- any cats can be socialized, feral or not, when the caregiver puts forth the effort. It takes time, patience, and dedication, but if you can’t muster that, you shouldn’t have a cat. If you live in the country and have barn cats, or let them outside, YOU are responsible for protecting both cat and bird.
Thanks a lot Nadine for your long comment. I didn’t realise that it is a product which would interfere with a cat defending him or herself. I certainly agree with you that it is not a good product. There is another product which I’ve written about as well which appears to be more successful and it involves the cat wearing a brightly coloured collar. You can read about it on this page:
https://pictures-of-cats.org/noticeable-brightly-coloured-cat-collar-protects-birds-from-cat-predation.html
What do you think about it?
After taking a bird to our local animal rescue today, after our rescued feral cat got it, I’d had enough. He’s a serial killer! Yes, he gets lots of rats and mice and gophers, which is fine, but not the birds. I believe in indoor only cats. All my previous cats have been indoors and we now have one that is 23 years old. The new ginormous male we saved is much larger, much younger and they are both males which means we can only keep Frank ( the outdoor/feral) inside when we are there.I am hoping that when the old one goes ( Jupiter) that we will be able to keep Frank inside, but until then, I need to stop this bird killing. It IS the responsible thing to do as a cat owner. I bought the bib today and have read countless testaments to its effectiveness. My concern now is that it may impede him from defending himself against predators IE; dogs, mountain lions, foxes, other CATS ( that he’s been known to fight nearby) and any other predator.I’d rather try something else though. I have considered the birds be safe collar. Here is a link to a pretty thorough study on that one.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989415000050
I’m pro outdoor cats if their neighborhood is safe from traffic. However, one of my cats routinely kills songbirds that nest in our yard and garden. She is a serial killer–daily. I’ve had enough. It’s disheartening to see birds work to raise their young who are then killed by Scout. I’m going to try the BirdsBeSafe collar cover and hope it works, but I doubt it. Scout is an intense/excellent hunter. Very smart. I won’t hesitate to try the bib. I don’t care how it looks. Enough is enough.
Hi Mary. I totally understand. There is a collar which I think is better. This page covers it:
https://pictures-of-cats.org/noticeable-brightly-coloured-cat-collar-protects-birds-from-cat-predation.html
Thanks for sharing.
I have 6 cats, all feral to domestic. 2 of them are very good hunters, bringing birds in on an almost daily basis and they were also bringing in other little creatures. I have used these bibs for these two, and have noticed a decrease in the number of birds killed. The cats do not mind the bibs. It took a day to get used to a collar and another day when I attached the bib to it.
Recent estimates are that 40 million birds are killed every year from cats in the US.
Be responsible owners and care for the wildlife as well as your cats.
I agree, Karen that responsible cat owners should think about wild species and try and protect them from their domestic cat’s predation. Personally, I don’t think the bib is satisfactory but that is a personal viewpoint. As to the number of birds killed by domestic and stray cats annually in America, there have been many attempts to estimate a correct number but nobody as yet has come up with an accurate figure despite what the scientists claim and state. All estimates are based upon relatively small surveys and then extrapolating to work out a countrywide figure.
Experts who are more critical have decided that this method is a failure. Every day we read about the thoughts of ornithologists and cat hating scientists who come up with exaggerated figures about the numbers of birds killed by cats. That said, as mentioned, we should do our best to avoid cats killing birds but at least when they do it, it is a natural event. When humans kill wildlife they often do it for the pleasure of it in what they call “sport hunting”. There is a difference. Or we kill birds inadvertently through our buildings and our sprawling urbanisation et cetera. Humans either directly or indirectly kill far more birds than cats.
There’s an interesting story newspaper today about how the Chinese have all but forced the bunting (a small bird) into extinction because they have eaten their way through the entire Chinese population of this once incredibly populous bird.
The cat bib is not cruel to a cat, but it does keep her from killing songbirds. There are so many extreme comments on this site, but folks speaking from real experience will tell you that they love their cats, and they love the birds of the air too–and the cat bib allows the two to coexist happily and safely. We follow the directions and got our girl comfortable with the collar first then added the bib whenever she went outside. We take the bib off when she comes in at dusk.
Thanks Darlene. I welcome your opinion. I don’t believe there are a lot of extreme comments on this site though. There is passion for cat welfare and some strong opinion but it only represents a small percentage of the overall content. Personally, I don’t really like these artificial aids to prevent natural behavior. We don’t this sort of thing to people.
Why would you identify yourself to cat behavior? Cats like to play and will kill anything that moves, including birds and other wildlife. Most of the time, they don’t even eat their “toys”.
If you truly want to be a responsible cat owner, you will keep them indoors, but some of us can’t do that, for various reasons. There are so many dangers to cats that are outdoor cats. Just look at the statistics.
“Statistics indicate that the life span of an indoor cat is much longer than an outdoor cat. On average, an indoor cat lives twelve years but some cats can live for as many as twenty years. In comparison, an outdoor cat’s life expectancy is less than five years. – See more at: http://www.cat-world.com.au/indoor-vs-outdoor-cats#sthash.3rq2rVHu.dpuf“
Hi Karen stop I am not sure that I do identify myself with cat behaviour. I am just speculating about how a cat might feel with quite a large object hanging around their neck in front of them.I realise that in America, in many parts of the country, it is sensible to keep cats indoors because of the dangers outdoors. I just think that ideally it is better to find a more sophisticated solution to making the cat’s life as good as possible. I’ve always felt that with the amount of space available to many Americans who own detached houses and relatively large backyards that there is ample opportunity to build large outside enclosures which provide a domestic cat with safe place to roam outside, to smell the air and get a sense of what it is like to be in a natural environment. Despite that opportunity nearly every American who owns a cat does not have a large outside enclosure in their backyard, which I find surprising. They prefer to keep their cat indoors than build a decent size outdoor enclosure.
One of my cats is a very good hunter and has been wearing a bib for 2 years. He doesn’t appear in any way to be bothered by it or to even notice he has it on. My cat still hunts he just doesn’t catch any thing – except baby bunnies who cry pitifully. If I hear one I rescue it but they don’t survive. Next summer
Einstein will wear the large size bib. The problem with cats and birds is there are so many cats. Birds are endangered by so many human behaviors and I agree we must help them in any way we can.
Thanks Rosemary for sharing your positive experience with this product. It is appreciated. Comments like yours help people to form an opinion.
Greatest thing ever. I have three feral cats. All rescued, two were more than 9 months old, but they were tamed. I have one that hunts all the time. I made my own device because I could not wait for one to come in the mail. She still catches mice, and has brought home one lizard but the birds have stopped. She doesn’t just kill them, she plays with them for prolonged periods, and then finally kills them. I decided to put one on her after I watched her torturing the last bird. I managed to get the bird from her, and it did not seem injured, and flew from my hand. At that time I decided a bit of discomfort was worth it to try and stop the carnage. I made it out of a stubby cooler with a loop of elastic to hold it onto the collar. She jumps via a gate post to the second floor of our house, and back down again. I was worried that she would fall if the device got in the way. She has been wearing it for about a month full time and she has not had any accidents. One cat does not hunt, so she does not wear one. She has only ever bought home a mouse and a bird nest. The third cat also wears one just in case she decides she might start. Again no problems with getting used to wearing it.
Good, I am pleased it has worked. Thanks for the full description, Sue.
Well I am going to try it out. Our cat ate something outside that caused his small intestine to stop working. We were plagued with anxiety trying to find out what it was. Finally the vet had to do exploratory surgery, it was negative. But after putting the cat through the stress of surgery and recovery, we have to find a way that can allow him to play outside for short periods without eating anything that could make him sick. We think the bib may be helpful.
Hi Ki, sorry to hear about your cat’s illness. The bib may work but what if he ate something dead, something inanimate which poisoned him? The bib won’t help in that situation. I hope he gets better. Thanks for telling us.
Hi Michael
Thanks for your well wishes, Rama is recovering nicely.
We think he ate something that moves like a lizard. Many times I have rescued the little critters from his feline jaws. We don’t want to deprive him of outdoor play but he will be limited in the amount of time he spends outside from now on, so we are hoping the bib will be
somewhat of a deterrent.
Have a blessed day.
Ki
I am pleased you think it was a lizard. The bib should work then. Thanks for telling me. You photo was too large to upload – sorry. If you’d like to try again you might read the instructions below the comment box.
So let’s get all the people who enjoy killing birds for fun decked out in these bibs shall we and save MILLIONS of birds lives, those cruel people kill far far more birds than cats do!
My cats wear these bibs and they have been a complete success. They are not stressed in any way!! They climb trees, run fast, eat etc etc i also have bells too. Anyone who thinks that a cats absolute comfort comes before the cruel killing of birds is nuts. Finally they can enjoy the sunshine without killing.
Thanks Jak for your sharing your personal experiences. Personal experiences are the best. As you were a new commentator your comment was moderated by any future comment will be published immediately.
The question I have for you is: how many birds does your cat kill? Do you know?