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Collars worn by cats and emitting battery-powered noises could make songbirds less vulnerable to feline attacks, a wildlife ecologist says.

"Certain birds get really hard hit and the numbers are really alarming," said University of Wisconsin professor Stanley Temple.

Cats kept as pets on farms and in residential neighborhoods, along with habitat destruction, explain why some species of birds have become less numerous. UW researchers propose a solution to the cat factor by equipping the animals with a collar that produces a high-frequency note that birds recognize as a signal of danger. Designs that students demonstrated last week to a three-member judging panel carried names like "Bye-Bye Birdie," "The Cat's Meow" and "For the Birds." Features include a collar emitting three peeps a minute, a light weight of 45 grams, and a magnetic switch that turns on when a cat passes through a pet door. The students are in an engineering class taught by Evelyn Markus, who said the project was an exercise in management, writing and working as a team. Eight teams of two students were asked to draft proposals. If a proposal is patented, the student creators would share in any income that it generates. The National Audubon Society is eager to endorse a product if it reaches the market, Temple said. Collars with jingle bells do not work, Temple said. "They are absolutely ineffective and a waste of money," he said.

# posted by Medical Information : 4:33 AM