Can a ‘clown collar’ for your cat help save native birds?

We know that cats are not brilliant for our native fauna populations. The evidence that we have is pretty conclusive.

Cats are introduced predators in New Zealand and the native wildlife have never adapted to living with them. Cats have been found to be apt predators of New Zealand’s invertebrates, birds and lizards; alongside introduced rodents. Nevertheless, our inclination as humans to stop behaviours that have known consequences for the environment (see that little thing called climate change?) is pretty low.

Turns out, we just love our house pets. 

Despite decades of cultural references in film and literature staring us right in the face (Blofeld, Dr Evil, One Hundred and One Dalmatians, The Lady and the Tramp, Dolores Umbridge), we can’t seem to do without our feline friends. So much so that 41% of New Zealand households have a cat: higher than both Australia (37%) and the United States of America. 

Thankfully there is an answer. It is pure and simple: make your cat look as ridiculous as possible.  

Building on the traditional bell collar, in recent years there has been an uptake of a new ‘clown’ collar that reduces a cat’s ability to hunt prey. The clown collar is basically a wide, brightly coloured bib attached around a cat’s neck. A study out of Perth, Australia found that a particular make of clown collar reduced cat predation rate on vertebrates with good colour vision (birds, amphibians, and reptiles). Interestingly, rainbow and red coloured collars were more effective at reducing predation by cats than yellow collars.

However, the study found that the collars had no measurable impact on cat predation rates for mammals or large invertebrates. This result of clown collars not having an impact on mammals and large invertebrate predation rates provides an interesting dichotomy in a New Zealand context.

On one hand the continued feline predation of pest mammals (rodents and mustelids) would likely have a positive impact on populations of native birds and lizards. However, continued feline predation of large invertebrates (such as weta) is a potential shortcoming in the overall application of such collars in New Zealand. A study using the same collars is currently in progress at Victoria University of Wellington, and will help determine their effectiveness in New Zealand. 

Regardless, it is clear that such clown collars may well have a positive impact for our native species under pressure. Christmas is just around the corner – so consider treating yourself, the crazy cat person in your life and our native fauna.  

Images: Vicky Summer via Unsplash; BirdsBeSafe; Dorothea Oldani via Unsplash.