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Cat Collars: Your FAQ Answered

November 15, 2017

When we designed the Birdsbesafe® collar cover, we wanted you to be able to use any cat collar that you liked. We still think this is a good idea: your cat may do well with a style of collar that wouldn't work as well for a different cat. Some cats are smaller, larger, stronger, more active, or (sigh) Houdini like in their ability to lose cat collars.

Here are some pointers to help you pick a collar that will bring you success!

Always choose a breakaway buckle on your cat's collar. The collar needs to release under pressure automatically so if your cat encounters an obstacle or gets it hooked on something, then both cover and collar will come off.
Breakaway buckles are well researched and well designed by the best pet product companies so that they release with the right amount of pressure for most cats. Conversely, there are some poor quality buckles out there. To find a good one, ask around about brands; ask your local independent pet store staff; read reviews; and keep reading here.
Alas, your cat may be stronger or more able to get the collar to pop off even in non-emergency scenarios. We find that the "Houdini" cat that almost always manages to lose his/her collar is often able to keep on a breakaway-buckled STRETCH collar. These are hard to find in stores, but we sell some! Many of our customers swear by them, after struggling with other styles.
Some cat owners give credence to getting their cats to associate their Birdsbesafe cover with treats, outdoor time, or praise. A little positive feedback and conditioning can go a long way. Take a positive approach. (If you have ever had small children, you may know how well this works!)
We know one cat owner who used a hair band to loosely join the two buckle halves so that if a collar released in the wilds, then it would fall loose around the cat's neck but not come all the way off. This is up to you to determine the safety of the technique!
We have had good luck with the following brands: Goli (such as we sell) repurposed fabric collars; stretch and cotton fabric breakaway collars with the Kitty Clip buckle (we sell these too). Also: RC Pets, Lupine Pets (particularly for larger cats or those that don't mind wearing collars), Coastal Pet Products newer black buckle design that says Coastal on the buckle, and PetSafe cat collars.
Whatever you do, don't overtighten the collar around kitty's neck. They hate that!
What do you know that we would like to know? If you have a brand, strategy or design that works for you, let us know!

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We also enjoyed some publicity in a TV feature in the Netherlands, (link coming soon), and in FarmShow magazine from the U.S.

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We have a ten-year track record of successfully protecting birds from cats. Our product has been studied in field studies, confirming how well it works. It also has been tested in backyards all over the United States and Canada for ten years. We can assure you that the product succeeds from Alaska to Florida, from Maine to Hawaii. In Canada, the product is very popular, and we also have a wide group of cats wearing it from Iceland to the UK to France and Belgium, Switzerland and more.