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Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is CatAlert?
2. How does the collar work?
3. How effective is CatAlert?
4. Is it safe for my cat to wear a CatAlert?
5. Is it not natural for cats to hunt?
6. What effect do cats have on wildlife?
7. How can the CatAlert collar help?
8. What are the advantages of the collar?


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1. What is CatAlert?
CatAlert is an electronic sonic device contained in a small box attached to a standard safety cat collar. It beeps every 7 seconds to alert birds to the presence of stalking felines. The collar can be switched so that it automatically stops beeping when it becomes dark or left to beep all the time.

CatAlert is driven by two CR20316 3V Li batteries that have a lifetime of 12 months. The batteries are of a type often used in hearing aids and replacements are available from Willana Lifesciences (£5.00) camera shops and large pharmacies. The device weighs 10 grams. (Size 15 mm x 23 mm x 32 mm) Very few cats object to the collar or the beeping

2. How does the collar work?
Cats use a silent approach during stalking to reach a position where they can pounce on their prey. The collar ensures that they make a loud approach and so alert birds to the danger. The birds soon become accustomed to this and learn that if a bush beeps then there is a cat behind it.

3. How effective is CatAlert?
The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) tested CatAlert in 4 independent trials during the Spring , Summer, Autumn and Winter of 1999. Their results have been published on our website and indicate that bird kills by cats wearing the collar were reduced by two thirds. The results were very robust in that they were the same during all four seasons. CatAlert is the only device of its type which has been subjected to independent scientific trials.  We have added a bell to the collar to help alert birds and small wildlife.

4. Is it safe for my cat to wear a CatAlert?
The collars used have a safety catch which allows a cat to wriggle free if gets caught up in a tree or fence. Owners can attach the CatAlert box to their own collar. The Feline Advisory Bureau http://www.fabcats.org/index.html advise the use of collars with a safety catch or elasticated section.

5. Is it not natural for cats to hunt?
Although cats make affectionate pets, many domestic cats hunt as effectively as wild predators. However, they differ from wild predators in four important ways:

a. First, people protect cats from disease, predation and competition, factors that can control numbers of wild predators, such as foxes, bobcats, raptor birds or coyotes.

b. Second, they often have a dependable supply of food provided by humans and are, therefore, not influenced by changes in populations of prey. Whereas populations of native predators will decline when prey becomes scarce, cats receiving food subsidies from people remain abundant and continue to hunt even rare species.

c. Third, unlike many native predators, cat densities are either poorly limited or not limited by territoriality. Cats hunt in other peoples gardens

d. Fourth, unlike some predators, a cat's desire to hunt is not suppressed by adequate supplemental food. Even when fed regularly by people, a cat's motivation to hunt remains strong, so it continues hunting.

These four factors give the cat a great and un-natural advantage over their prey. CatAlert tends to even out the odds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 6. What effect do cats have on wildlife?
World-wide, cats have been involved in the extinction of more bird species than any other cause except habitat degradation and are contributing to the endangerment of several rare mammal populations. Britain's domestic cats, alone, are said to kill at least 75 million birds annually and pet cats in the USA are estimated to kill more than 1.4 billion birds each year. In Australia, a recent report suggested that the country's up to 15 million feral and domestic cats were killing 96 million vertebrates per year including 186 native bird species.

7. How can the CatAlert collar help?
One of the main advantages cats have is the silence and stealth of their stalking procedure. They hold their heads very still during this approach (bells don't ring). The beeping collar gives the birds a "heads up" warning and they can escape in time. This is very important during the nesting season when the birds are actively foraging to feed their young. The loss of a single parent bird during the nesting season can result in the death of all the chicks in a brood.

8. What are the advantages of the collar?
Many cat owners are distressed that their pets attack wildlife but are reluctant to keep them locked in all the time. Cats fitted with a CatAlert collar can roam outside with little effect on birds. Cats retain their traditional freedom to roam while the local wildlife are continuously alerted to danger and can keep out of harm's way.