Is it advisable to put a bell collar on my cat?

Many cat owners bell collar on their cats to keep track of where they are, because they think it's cute, but... do they really know the consequences of that constant sound so close to them?

Besides the aesthetic purpose, many owners decide to put a bell collar on their cats to keep them under control, or to alert the prey they are about to hunt so that they do not return home with a trophy. But both cognitively and physically it is not advisable to put something that will become a sound torture for our little furry buddies, and I’ll let you know why: 

At a cognitive level:

It may affect their mood.

Cats have a highly developed sense of hearing, picking up frequencies that are imperceptible to us humans. They are able to perceive ultrasounds up to 50,000 Hz, a full 30,000 Hz more than we can.

That is why, if your cat carries this sound hanging permanently around its neck, it can cause it to feel uneasy or deeply stressed and nervous. Cats are stealthy animals, they move delicately and like to go unnoticed, a bell will not only alert at all times where the cat is, but the constant noise in their ears can create unnecessary stress for them, for it is not natural for them and it is not uncommon to see a cat trying to get that annoying noise out of their necks. 

At a physical level:

It is also a bad idea.

Despite there being no conclusive scientific studies, the proximity of this annoying noise can be harmful to your cat, if you leave it there too long it may lose its hearing or go completely deaf. It is as if we have been wearing a loud noise-making device next to our ears all our lives. Unless you put it on occasionally, of course. 

To keep your little buddy from getting lost, you have a wide range of options, from collars to chips, or both. But putting a bell collar on them will be a torture and a danger for them, so it is better to forget that option. 

Remember that, if you want to put a collar on your cat, the best is the anti-choking type, with a safety buckle and quick release in case your little kitty gets trapped.

There are also toys with bells which are not harmful to our little kitties, as the sound is only produced when they play with them. 

Alba Serrano, canine and feline psychologist and Master in Clinical Ethology from the UAB, @enlamentedelosanimales.