Collar or no collar for cats
By cassiej2005
@cassiej2005 (202)
United States
January 4, 2007 4:51pm CST
I always wondered if the majority of cat owners actually put collars on their cats. I mean 2 of mine for awhile had collars, but i was always afraid they would get stuck on something, even though they are the safety release ones. I can't even figure out how to get the rabies tag on it. But i took the collars off because it looked like they were uncomfortable with them on....does your cat wear a collar?
4 people like this
22 responses
@sylviekitty (2083)
• United States
5 Jan 07
Your cat should wear a collar with a tag, so that if they get lost, somebody can call you to tell you they have your cat. Put a collar on them. As long as you can fit two fingers between the collar and their neck comfortably, the collar should be able to slip off with no problem if they get caught on something.
1 person likes this
@mari61960 (4893)
• United States
6 Jan 07
Yes, and these days they have break away collars that will pull apart if a cat gets caught on something.
Many people also put a bell on the collar and that is to warn birds so they don't get eaten at your bird feeder.
@cassiej2005 (202)
• United States
6 Jan 07
really!? i thought it was so you could keep an ear out for your cat, so you could find it!
@enchantedemerald (454)
• United States
5 Jan 07
All of my cats are inside so they don't have collars but I have seen cats roaming around outside that I wish had collars so that way I would know if they had owners or if they were homeless. I love cats tremendously and have the same thoughts that you have about those break-away collars. I've always wondered if they really work.
@rosie_123 (6113)
•
6 Jan 07
They do work - I can vouch for that!I have 5 cats - one of mine was a feral that I took in, and he can still be a bit of a wanderer (and a fighter at times), - and I have evidence that they really do break away when needed! Four of my five wear collars because they go out all the time, and each of them is microchipped, and has a medallion with his microchip details and my number on it in case of emergency. My fifth cat (and the only girl amongst all my boys!) refuses to go out so she doesn't wear a collar. I did try to put one on her but she got very stressed about it - she was a stray before I took her in, so I really don't know if anything happened to her previously to make her so scared of wearing one. However, if she ever decided that she wanted to go out I would definately persevere with making her wear one. I used to have six cats, but sadly one of my boys was killed in a road traffic accident last year, and I was so grateful for his collar because it meant I found out what had happened very quickly and could go and bring him home to bury him.
@acwbagnall (39)
• Australia
13 Jan 07
I always put the collar on my cat if he is going outside, and generally we leave it on all the time while he is in the house. That way if he gets lost people will know where to return him from the adress on his tag.
@bunnylady01 (483)
• United States
13 Jan 07
My cat does not wear one and none of my cats ever did for long. Even the safety release ones can get stuck. If they don't go outside, which mine does not, I don't use them.
I do have a flea collar on him though. I don't like how those tubes of flea stuff makes his coat feel.
He does not seem to mind the flea collar and it is a snug fit (not overly snug) so I don't worry.
@Dseacrest (203)
• United States
14 Jan 07
Kashmier doesn't go outside but yet he still has a collar due to the fact that he has a wonderful habit of sneaking around. His collar has a bell on it and that way I will always know when he is near. Otherwise I will have a new shoe with teeth.
@Aussies2007 (5336)
• Australia
14 Jan 07
No... I don't like collars on cats as it does not look naturel and I would be worry that it get caught into a tree and hang itself.
My cat is microchip so he does not need one. And I use the tubes that you squeeze on the back of their neck for flee protection... which is more effective than a collar.
My cat has been pick up a couple of times on the assumption that it was lost... and brought up to the nearest vet. The vet find the microchip and rings me.
It has become my experience that cats don't get lost. Mine does not anyway. Maybe I have a smart cat.
@wolfie34 (26771)
• United Kingdom
6 Jan 07
We have four cats, and one is a kitten, all of them have their own collar made from leather, each has a different colour, they are not flea collars, as they have special treatment for that. They have bells on them, to warn birds that they are around! I know its nature but I hate seeing poor birds being caught.
@profclark (512)
• United States
7 Jan 07
My cat wears a collar, but it is snug on his neck, no too, but enough that he can't get it caught, and it has a tag with his name and my telephone number. You do have to be careful about the fit, but he has worn this collar for 2 years.
@GnosticGoddess (5626)
• United States
6 Jan 07
My cats don't wear collars cause they're inside cats and I think they're cuter without them. My dog does wear a collar though cause she's outside. Not sure how to help you with the tags except try a different type of collar. I don't know if they cats are uncomfortable with them on after they get use to them but I just think they're cuter without them.
@JohnnyMurder (611)
• United States
13 Jan 07
my cat just tears off her collar. if she hates it that bad, i wont make her wear it. she doesnt have flees or anything like that!
@lumina83 (131)
• France
8 Jan 07
I have to cats, but they keep at home. So they don't have any collar. I think they wouldn't appreciate if i'd try to put them a collar.
But cats wich goes out must have one, for many reasons... against tick or fleas for exemple, or just to make evident that they're belonging to someone...
@happy29 (28)
• United States
13 Jan 07
I do not put collars on my cats.At one time I put flea collars on 2 of my cats.They freaked on it.Spike just stood there frozen for several minutes,Then started to walk backwards.I'm guessing he thought he could back out of it.Later that day I saw them helping each other get the collars off.Spike grabbed Snowball's collar with his mouth and pulled it forward while she worked her head out of it.Then she did the same for him.It took them awhile and was funny to watch.I decided that if they were willing to work that hard to get the collars off,I wouldn't make them wear one.Plus I do worry about them getting it caught on something.
@samsonskola (3357)
• United States
6 Jan 07
I tried that several times...like you, I was afraid of it getting caught on a limb or something when my cat was outside, but aside from that, I couldn't keep the darned things on him! No matter what I did, within hours, sometimes minutes, he would have it off and secretly stashed it somewhere so I would never see it again!...lol..I eventually gave up.
@danishcanadian (28953)
• Canada
5 Jan 07
My cat stays inside all the time, so he doesn't wear a collar.
@Tanika (632)
• Australia
6 Jan 07
yeah my cats have collars as they are outside and inside cats and i like the security that if they got picked up by the ranger then they would be returned. Also i do not like them killing wildlife so i have a bell on thir collars. they used to be inside only however and they did not have collars then. my female cat seems to get out of her collar all the time though. luckily i always seem to find it somewhere though. i do not have the collars tight so if they did get stuck on something they would be able to slip out of them.
