Anti-hunting bibs reduce cat activity by 15% but don't curb roaming

A study found cats wearing anti-hunting CatBibs showed about 15% less overall activity, but their roaming distances remained unchanged, according to research published in Applied Animal Behaviour Science. Researchers tracked nine free-roaming cats with accelerometers for eight days each and seven cats with GPS for two days, comparing behavior with and without the bib. Locomotion frequency dropped roughly 19%, though high-energy activity and travel distances showed no significant reduction. The bib, designed to disrupt pouncing rather than restrict movement, produced varied effects linked to individual cat personality. Authors called the behavioral impact limited but noted hunting-specific behaviors like pouncing require further study, with the small sample size prompting calls for more research.