Birdsbesafe Collar & Cover Review 2023: Our Expert’s Opinion

Quality: 5/5

Variety: 4/5

To help save birds without restricting the cat’s free lifestyle, the brains behind the brand came up with an innovative solution. Since birds can see bright colors so well, why not use that fact to keep them safe from cats?

And that is how the Birdsbesafe Collar Cover was born.

These brightly colored, puffy covers make cats more visible to birds, giving them a chance to fly away before the kitty can pounce. Their effectiveness has been verified by independent studies, which have proved these covers can reduce bird deaths by cats by up to 87%!

On top of gorgeous, flashy collar covers, Birdsbesafe also sells cat-safe breakaway collars.

I had a chance to try out one of their most popular products, the collar and three-cover bundle.

Keep reading to find out how Makoa, my wild kitten, tolerated his new apparel and if it helped keep my local birds safer.

At a Glance: What Was Included in Our Bundle

	Image	Product	Details
Our Favorite		Collar Covers	Easy to use Well tolerated Beautiful designs	Check Price
		Full Stretch Breakaway Collar	Loud bell Reflective stitching Stretchy for extra safety	Check Price

About Birdsbesafe

Who Makes Birdsbesafe Products and Where Are They Produced?

Birdsbesafe products first hit the market in 2009. But their innovative collar covers didn’t gain popularity in the bird-loving, cat-owning community until St. Lawrence University conducted a study on how effective the covers were at preventing cats from catching birds.

This study, among many others, proved these collars helped save birds and catapulted Birdsbesafe into the spotlight. Today, the American Bird Conservatory and BirdLife International endorse Birdsbesafe products and recommend them to their members.

In 2023, Birdbesafe was sold to The Power of Gratitude LLC, an individual-owned company with a passion for cats and birds.

Birdsbesafe products have always been and continue to be made in the USA.

Which Types of Cats Are Birdsbesafe Products Best Suited For?

Birdsbesafe collar covers are made for cats that venture outside, whether they live there full-time or part-time. They are a must for cats with a habit of hunting birds. Rodents, other mammals, and reptiles do not see colors as well as birds and aren’t likely to be as protected by these collar covers.

The Birdsbesafe collars, on the other hand, are a great option for all cats. They come with multiple safety features to keep your cat safe indoors and out. Plus, the bells are loud, which is great for keeping track of your cat and warning animals of all types of their presence.

Scientifically Proven to be Effective

Multiple organizations have researched the effectiveness of Birdsbesafe cat collar covers. The first was St. Lawrence University, which found that cats that wore the covers killed 87% fewer birds than cats that did not.

According to a Journal of Fish and Wildlife study, the collar covers reduced the number of birds brought home by cats by 61%. Interestingly, the researchers also noted that the collars reduced the number of mammals brought home by 37%, while the number of reptiles and amphibians brought home was reduced by 47%.

The University of Scotland did a small-scale study on the covers. They found a reduction in bird deaths of 78% when the covers were used compared to when the same cats were let out without covers.

Wonderful Pattern Options

All of the Birdsbesafe collar covers feature brightly colored patterns—that’s what makes them so effective!

Currently, they have 15 different collar/pattern options. These vary from simple geometric patterns to fun cartoon bird and pinwheel patterns. All of these options are designed to be highly visible to birds based on scientific research.

There are fewer pattern options available in the collar department, though. Currently, there are two collar types to choose from: full-stretch breakaway and nylon breakaway. Both come in multiple solid color options and include a matching bell.

Multiple Safety Features

Birdsbesafe collar covers have been proven safer for birds, but the makers also went to great lengths to ensure their products are very safe for cats.

The collar covers are meant to fit over breakaway collars and do not connect at the ends. This is to make sure your cat doesn’t get caught on anything or tangled up. The covers also feature a genius hem of reflective fabric that makes them more visible at night.

The full stretch collar, which is what I tried out, has multiple safety features to avoid strangulation. Not only is the buckle breakaway, but the material is very stretchy, so your cat can wriggle out of it if needed.

When used together, the Birdsbesafe collars and covers help keep cats and birds safer. The collars even feature loud bells that help warn birds and other potential prey that your cat is around.

Bundles Available

For those just starting out on their bird-protecting cat ownership journey, Birdsbesafe offers product bundles. I received the bundle with three collar covers and a breakaway collar to review. They also offer a three-cover-only bundle if you already have a collar you like.

Both bundles give you the three most popular prints at the time of ordering (which may vary from those pictured). If you opt for the collar bundle, you get to choose which color collar you would like.

Product Reviews

While your cat may not appreciate looking like a clown, most tend to accept the collar covers easily and don’t bother them. The cover is wide enough to be seen by birds at a distance, but won’t interfere with your cat’s ability to groom, eat, drink, play, or nap.

Each collar cover is made of a flattened tube of fabric that slips over the cat’s collar. The hem edge consists of reflective fabric to help keep your cat safe at night. The stitching is made to last and the fabric is 100% cotton and fully washable.

With fifteen wonderful patterns to choose from, you can stock up and put your cat in a new bird-saving outfit every day of the week!

The backpack-style buckle on this collar will open if pressure is applied. Additionally, the fabric of the collar itself is made of woven nylon over stretchy elastic. Even if the buckle fails to open, the stretchy material would let your cat slip out if they got stuck.

Threaded into the nylon are strands of reflective threads that make the cat more visible at night. Each collar also includes a very jingly bell that helps you and potential prey keep better track of your cat.

The Full Stretch Breakaway Collar is available in five collars: red, blue, green, purple, and black. Each includes a matching bell (that can be removed) and a separate tag ring.

Our Experience With Birdsbesafe Covers and Collar

I received the three-cover and collar bundle to try out on my cat, Makoa.

Makoa just turned five months old and is as crazy and destructive as most teenage cats. When I found him, he was a feral kitten living on the mean streets of Oahu. And much of that attitude persists.

Because he is a bit on the wild side, I was interested to see how well these Birdsbesafe products would work. Not only is he a natural-born killer, but he will turn literally anything into a toy, whether it is attached to him or not.

The Collar

I started by just putting the Full Stretch Breakaway Collar on him. This replaced his kitten collar, which was getting too small anyway, and immediately turned him into a handsome young man. I was bummed that there weren’t more pattern options for the collars, but the woven nylon on this one really gives it a unique look.

The bell on this collar is much louder and rings more consistently than his old collar. That is to say, the mechanism doesn’t get bound up as often. Since I like keeping track of this little monster and want the poor rodents in my yard to have a chance, I like that this bell is jingly.

The Covers

Next, it was time to try the collar covers.

These covers more than make up for the simple colors of the collars—every single one of them is just beautiful! In fact, it was hard for me to choose which one to try first.

Slipping the cover on the collar is fairly easy, though it does take some trial and error. You need to hold one end of the collar while you slip the long cover on. Then, the trick is to not let go of either end of the collar until it is secured on your cat.

At that point, you just have to pull at the cover a bit to get it even and sticking up in the right direction.

Getting the cover and collar on Makoa was a bit tricky. He was pretty sure it was a toy he needed to destroy. A few scratches and some wrestling later, and it was on.

And it looked great! (If not a little hilariously clowny!)

Makoa messed with it a little bit right after I put it on. He could easily scratch at it and even get the edge in his mouth. But, to my surprise, he stopped paying attention to it after just a few minutes.

Once he was outside, he didn’t care about it at all. At that point, he only had eyes for the birds. Luckily, it was obvious that they could also see him easily.

Normally, Makoa waits under the bird feeder on my deck. He doesn’t quite have the skill yet to jump onto the railing and surprise the birds, but he’s been getting better.

Luckily, the cover put a quick end to this behavior. The birds wouldn’t even come up to the feeder while he was out there. It was clear they could see him even in his hiding spot under the railing.

Conclusion

Birdsbesafe has done an amazing thing by creating an effective product that allows cats to run free while protecting birds. Their collars and covers are made with high-quality materials and designed with safety in mind, both for the cat and the birds they love to stalk.

If my crazy kitten can tolerate wearing a Birdsbesafe collar cover, then any cat can. And I’ve seen firsthand just how effective this product is at keeping cats from killing birds.