If you have a cat, you know how important its safety is, but just how safe is its cat collar?
Cat collars can be safe, but they can be dangerous if not fitted correctly. The safest collar is one your cat is able to free itself from easily if required but is not so loose that your cat can injure itself were its claw to become trapped.
Fit your cat’s collar correctly
It is imperative that a cat’s collar is fitted correctly – an ill-fitting cat collar could have disastrous consequences for your cat.
When checking the tightness of your cat’s collar, you should make sure that you can fit one or two fingers underneath the collar.
If you cannot do this, your cat collar is too tight and could lead to your cat having breathing difficulties or have trouble swallowing.
If you can fit more than two fingers beneath the collar, it is too loose, meaning that your cat may get its jaw caught and end up with bad injuries to its face because it is using its front and back claws in an attempt to extricate itself from its collar.
You should constantly check that your cat’s collar is fitted correctly; if your cat is young, and still growing, what was a perfectly fitting collar a few months earlier could now be far too tight for it. It should be replaced with one of a more appropriate size.
You should always buy a collar with a ‘quick release’ clip, meaning that your cat will be able to escape from its collar if it were to become trapped, which is also recommended by Christine Kerridge of the Central & North East London Branch of the RSPCA.
If your cat shows that it is beginning to become traumatised when you place the collar around its neck, I would hold off for a while, simply placing the collar in view so that your cat can become acclimatised to the smell and look of its new collar. It may then be easier to place the collar on your cat.
If you were to use a treat to try to get the collar on your cat, it is best to leave the treat to when you have placed the collar on the cat, and not before, because the cat will realise that it may get a tasty treat if it allows you to put the collar on.
Ensure that the collar is working correctly
It is imperative that you test the collar before putting it on your cat; you should test the ‘breakaway’ buckle, ensuring that the buckle could come undone if your cat was ever caught on something and needed to break free.
If it comes apart too easily, however, it is best to buy a different collar because it could become expensive to keep replacing collars that your cat could easily lose.
The collar should be able to fit over the cat’s head, but not be so loose that your cat is able to get their lower jaw under the collar.
A collar with an elastic insert may not be the best collar for your cat because it could stretch sufficiently that your cat’s leg could become stuck in it, leading to your cat being injured.
When fitting the collar for the first time, it is best to place it on your cat before feeding time as your cat will be distracted, making this operation much easier for you.
Items attached to the collar
If you choose to buy a collar with a bell, so that birds and other animals have some warning of your cat’s presence, it is important that you buy a collar containing a wide groove so that there is no danger of your cat’s claws becoming trapped.
It is also important to bear in mind that your cat may become scared by the noise the bell makes, and be reluctant to move anywhere. If this were to occur, it is best to simply remove the bell because you do not want your cat to become traumatised by its own collar.
It is best to avoid placing a diamante collar on your cat, however fashionable they might look because they do not have any facility to simply snap open should your cat become distressed.
Do not leave your cat unsupervised
You should never leave your cat unsupervised when you originally put its collar on. It is important to ensure that your cat gets used to its collar before you leave it alone. It is not unusual for a cat to become disturbed by this new thing around its neck, and try to remove it.
If you have to leave your cat alone for even an hour, it is important to remove the collar, only replacing it when you can again supervise your cat. You should try and gradually build up the amount of time your cat wears its collar.
If your cat continues to chew on its collar, even after several days, it could be that it is unable to actually wear a collar, but this is unusual.
It is imperative that you do not force a cat to wear a collar; the last thing you want is for your cat to become stressed because if it is stressful for your cat, it is highly likely to also be stressful for you!!
Dangers of your cat not wearing a collar
Although there are certain risks when your cat wears a collar, as described above, if your cat is an outdoor cat, spending most of its time outside, it is important that your cat wears a collar because there is far more chance of it being returned to you if it gets lost.
Even if your cat is an indoor cat, like my cat, Bess, it is still advisable that it wears a collar because as it is not used to the outdoors, not knowing its way around, it could easily become confused and feel a sense of vulnerability if it was to ever go outside.
There are many different reasons why an indoor cat could find its way outside; a door inadvertently left open, a fire or other event in the home, someone letting your cat outside; you never know what may happen.
Being outside could lead to your cat experiencing a feeling of anxiety, go to find somewhere to hide, and not be able to find its way back home.
I am still not sure I want my cat to wear a collar; are there any alternatives?
If you do not want your cat to wear a collar, and even if it does wear a collar, it is still important to get your cat microchipped at your local veterinary practice.
This is just as important for cats who wear collars as well as those that do not because a cat, as described above, could sometimes lose a collar.
The microchip is inserted between your cat’s shoulder blades, meaning that should your cat ever be lost, the microchip will enable it to be traced back to you because every microchip is allocated a unique number which is held on a database.
Dangers of only microchipping your cat
Should a person find your cat, it may not even occur to them that it is lost, them presuming that your cat belongs to one of their neighbours, or they could simply assume that it is a stray, it not occurring to them that it may have been microchipped.
It may never be taken to a cat shelter or veterinary practice, where the microchip can be read.
If your cat wears a collar, it could enclose an ID tag containing your name and contact details so that it can be easily returned to you.
Conclusion
Overall, despite the risks outlined above, it is advisable that your cat wears a collar, but only one with a ‘quick release’ clip. Should your cat become lost, it is more probable that someone finding it will read the ID tag and contact you.
If they have to go to the trouble, even if they realise it could have been microchipped, of taking your cat to a local veterinary practice, it is less likely your cat will ever find its way back home.