CatBib clips onto collars to keep naturally predatory cats from cutting a bloody swath through the local ecosystem.
Cats are natural hunters, even when they're fed regularly by their doting humans. They're also remarkably efficient, as billions of silenced birds, rodents, reptiles and even numbats could tell you if they weren't, well, you know.
Many cat-owners are blissfully unaware of the carnage wrought daily by their semi-captive carnivores. Others know all too well, as they're on the receiving end of an assortment of “gifts” (or parts thereof) procured by their tiny tigers. Yep, now it's personal... and now's the time to do something about it.
Enter the CatBib (image via STAY UP), an Audubon Society-approved accessory that drastically reduces successful feline predation without inhibiting your pet's enjoyment of the great outdoors. The CatBib was invented by a bird-feeding, cat-loving gardener from Springfield, Oregon, who noticed the usual deterrents (bells, etc.) just weren't effective.
CatBibs are, essentially, bibs for cats – with certain modifications, mind you. The one-piece, lightweight (under 1 oz) neoprene bibs clip onto the cat's collar via a comfortable hook-and-loop closure, and while wearing a CatBib inhibits feline hunting techniques, it won't interfere with running, climbing, eating or drinking. Check out this short video of the CatBib in real world use.
OK, so the CatBib sounds good (though it might look a little silly) but does it really work? Researchers at Australia's Murdoch University say it does – results of their study were published in the scientific journal Biological Conservation (Vol 137, Issue 3, July 2007, pp 341-348).
We'll give you the condensed version: “The results revealed that the CatBibs stopped 81 per cent of cats from catching birds, 33 per cent from catching reptiles and frogs, and 45 per cent from catching mammals,” according to Mike Calver, Associate Professor in Biological Sciences at MU. The CatBib is now available commercially, sold online at Amazon and Cat Goods Inc.
