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Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

Collars - yes or no?

28 replies

Stinkle · 17/07/2014 09:13

My cat was missing for a few days last week (home safe and sound now) - he's usually regular as clockwork so when he didn't appear for his breakfast 2 days in a row, I posted on a local lost pets FB page.

First thing I was asked was whether he was "chipped, snipped and collared"

Yes to the first 2, no to the collar. I then got an absolute pasting for not having a collar.

He used to have a collar, but a few years ago he got caught in a bush by his collar after the "quick snap" bit failed to snap. It took a couple of days to find him, by which time his neck was a mangled mess - he still has a bald patch on his chin now where his hair has failed to regrow.

I've never put a collar on him since

He is microchipped and our contact details are fully up to date

Should he be collared?

After last time, I simply don't trust them to work properly and see them as far more of a risk than a benefit

Thanks!

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 17/07/2014 09:19

I've never had a cat who saw them as anything but a challenge to remove so I don't bother these days. (Not so many cats wear them these days now that chipping is available.) Who was giving you a pasting?

Original poster
Stinkle · 17/07/2014 09:25

People replying to my post on the FB page.

I'm an irresponsible cat owner apparently.

I can't find anything about it being a legal requirement (it is for dogs, and my dog has one as well as being chipped), so I don't see that there's anything positive about him having a collar on

OP posts:
Original poster
Stinkle · 17/07/2014 09:27

Someone has just replied to my post again today so it popped up again in my newsfeed.

"People who don't look after their pets properly should have them taken away. Get your cat a collar FFS!"

OP posts:
juneybean · 17/07/2014 09:30

Yikes my girl went years without one as I would worry she would get stuck trying to take it off. Little Houdini.

The boy wears one with a bell on to help birds....

Not sure how it makes you a bad cat owner though!

BBQsAreSooooOverrated · 17/07/2014 09:39

One of My cats had a collar, she went missing for 2 days and when she came back she had an injury from her collar. Some threads had come loose around the collar (probably where she'd scrapped at it to get it off), the threads had managed to get stuck under her 'armpit' and cut through her skin. :(

It was quite a deep, long wound and required an op and antibiotics. I've not used a collar since.

This isn't my cat, but this is the type of injury she had

collar injury

The thing was she was wearing a safety collar but as it was the threads that caused the injury it made no difference.

BBQsAreSooooOverrated · 17/07/2014 09:40

There are plenty of collar injury images if you google, paste a few of those on FB!

Original poster
Stinkle · 17/07/2014 10:06

Thanks!

BBQ that's similar to the injury my cat had, except it was about 3 times the size and on his neck. By the time we found him, his neck was a mess poor thing, he'd been gone for a couple of days so he could have been caught all that time.

His was a safety collar - we put it on him with a bell as he had a fondness for massacring the local small bird population. The bit that was supposed to break didn't.

I did post an explanation as to why we don't use collars but was told to stop making excuses. I think I'm going to start posting pictures now

He's too slow and lazy to catch a cold these days, he's microchipped so I just don't see that a collar is any benefit to him, only a risk.

OP posts:
deckthehalls1188 · 17/07/2014 10:35

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

cozietoesie · 17/07/2014 11:09

The Lodger (who was very slow to anger but wouldn't actually back down if he was really cornered) once had a major scrap outside the kitchen. I broke it up but went out the next morning to find a drift of fur with a pink sparkly collar in the middle of it. (No, Fluffy - it definitely wasn't your boy's.)

I'd just ignore them from now on. If they think that that's 'irresponsible', they should see some of the things that some of the posters on this board have seen. (Plenty of people post here who volunteer for rescues etc.) It sounds rather as if they have nothing positive to say to help you so are just leaping on.

I'm glad your lad came home safely.

girliefriend · 17/07/2014 11:46

I don't really agree with putting collars on cats, think they can be dangerous and a friend of mines cat did similar BBQ she was in such a state poor thing (owner and cat!)

Also a while ago a cat I was looking after went missing, he had a collar and was chipped but I actually think the fact he was collared prevented people from thinking he was a missing cat iyswim? No one used the collar to ring and check he belonged to someone.

I now have a kitten and she is getting chipped next week, may put a collar on when she initially starts going out but once she is bigger will remove it.

Am shocked at the response you got on fb Shock thats really out of order.

Twonewcats · 17/07/2014 13:47

My 2 do have collars but I have them very loose. There are hundreds of cats near where I live and I sort of assume that a cat without a collar is a stray. Also one of my cats went missing a few weeks ago, and it was so reassuring to hear the distant bell jangling when he eventually decided to return.
Oh and giving the mice and birds some warning that they're about to be pounced on is also a big help.
But I'm shocked that not putting a collar on cats apparently makes you a poor owner?!! How utterly bizarre.

GemmaTeller · 17/07/2014 13:57

Mine doesn't wear a collar.

Boy cat is always climbing trees and the vet advised no collar.

He is chipped and snipped though.

RabbitsarenotHares · 17/07/2014 14:12

The first cat I knew (family had him before I was born) apparently lost 7 collars, so by the time I came on the scene he was collarless, and so that's what I grew up with.

When we got our next cat (technically 'my' cat) my sister had put a flea collar on before bringing her home, which rubbed her neck and gave her a bald patch. I did switch to a non-flea one for a while but didn't like it so took it off her.

My present lass is microchipped but uncollared. I hate the thought that she could get a collar caught up on something, plus, I'm not used to seeing cats with them on. But most importantly (imo) I feel a collar is a sign of ownership and I can't say I own my cat. If anything, she owns me!

pimple · 17/07/2014 14:19

Have had 5 cats over the years and they have never worn collars. We tried in the early days but they always managed to get them off. We did have them 'snipped and chipped' however but TBH they never went very far afield as they were so cossetted at home!!!

Kim82 · 17/07/2014 14:22

None of my three cats wear collars, I don't like them as they can cause injury. They are all microchipped with up to date details so if they were to go missing it would be easy enough to be reunited with them. They are also spayed/neutured and were all done at around 6 months old before they were let outside.

Original poster
Stinkle · 17/07/2014 15:13

Thanks all!

The admin of the page has now deleted the whole thing thank goodness

OP posts:
DramaAlpaca · 17/07/2014 15:15

I would never put a collar on a cat.

Lovethesea · 17/07/2014 15:48

Mine have no collars, I think they would be more at risk of strangulation or being trapped as they go through thick hedgerow daily and fence walk a lot.

Fluffycloudland77 · 17/07/2014 15:53

I don't collars, he loses them fighting and due to all the fighting I'm pretty sure all my neighbours know where he lives.

Facebook's just Jeremy Kyle scripts in first draft.

samesizetoes · 17/07/2014 19:52

Our cat is black so we put a reflective collar on her during the winter if she goes out when the evenings are dark. But I take the collar off during the summer during the lighter evenings. I'd prefer not to put a collar on her but I'd also prefer her to be easily seen when its dark and with her being black with no distinguishing features, if she disappeared I'd like to be able to give more of a description than just "black cat" especially because there are a few black cats in this area.

Lovelydiscusfish · 17/07/2014 20:01

Mine have collars, reflective ones as I've previously lots cats to road traffic accidents. Also dh thinks it makes them look like someone owns them so people won't take them in and feed them (one cat is on a special diet).
I do feel really conflicted about it though, because of the risk of collar injuries, so this thread is really making me think.

VelvetEmbers · 17/07/2014 20:16

Ours used to have collars, until our eldest got one of those armpit injuries, from a "safety" collar Sad.

Even though they haven't worn collars now for at least 6 years, my black cat has a ring of grey fur around his neck.

ShakeYourTailFeathers · 17/07/2014 20:29

Ours only go out when we are there, so when they are in they don't wear them, and we put them on for going out. They queue up at the back door....

Bit like putting your willies on to go and play in the garden Grin

ShakeYourTailFeathers · 17/07/2014 20:30

WELLIES...arse Grin

SuperFlyHigh · 17/07/2014 20:53

collars are fine for cats to wear them - however even elastic ones I'm sure they can hinder if they get caught, think neighbour's cat had this problem as he has a bad leg/limp and they think this is reason.

chips should be fine. It's nice and a good idea for reflective or bells for birds.

to be honest birds just stopped coming in our garden once they realised there were 2 killers lurking there for them.... Grin

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