Research overview: colourful collar covers to reduce cat predation

Brightly patterned collar covers, designed to make stalking cats conspicuous to prey with good colour vision, have been tested as a tool to reduce predation. This overview surveys trials of such covers, which have been reported to substantially reduce the number of birds and some other visually oriented prey that cats catch, while being less effective for mammals that rely less on colour vision. It examines how the devices exploit the warning value of bright colours, owner and cat acceptance, and welfare considerations. The survey situates collar covers alongside other interventions like diet and play, discussing their place in a toolkit for owners who want to keep cats outdoors while reducing harm to wildlife, and noting variation in effectiveness across prey types and studies.