But when you combine fashion, function and a love of wildlife, you get the Birdsbesafe collar.
Created by Nancy Brennan of Duxbury, Vermont, the collars work by helping birds see their would-be-assassins.
“Songbirds, a group of birds that include most of the birds that cats can catch, see bright color especially well due to their eye anatomy,” says the Birdsbesafe website. “Specifically, songbirds see bright colors as extremely bright due to having a fourth ‘cone’ and they see well in low light conditions, like as dawn, due to having more ‘rods’ in their eyes.”
The claims made by Birdsbesafe were backed up by a St. Lawrence University study, published last year.
The study noted that the use of Birdsbesafe collars would reduce the number of birds caught by cats by 87 per cent in one year.
We love cats at The Fur-Bearers – but we want them to be safe, healthy pets. Not the mass murderers of birds. These collars seem like a great way to make a difference if your cat is ever outside.