What's the current thinking about collars?

[BIWI]

We got our kittens on Saturday. They are 8 weeks old. As they were two of a litter of 6, very similar kittens, they were given to us with collars on (so that they could identify the ones that we had chosen.)

Personally I don't like collars on cats, but it was very useful initially, so that we could tell which was which, until we got to know them better. And as one of them has a bell on the collar, it was also very helpful to find out where they were, especially as they discovered the hole under the kitchen units!

I'd like to get rid of them and not have collars at all. But is this the right thing to do?

Definitely the right thing to do. Even the snap off ones can be dangerous. And a stray cat with a collar (one that's got lost for example) has to be in a much, much worse state before someone will try to help it than a cat without a collar, as of course people assume that a cat with one has an owner.

They can be dangerous, ours got his leg trapped in his one night but luckily didn't damage himself.

I don't bother now.

I only use the quick release snap offs. I file them down so they come off very easily. Only so I can put Locat8ers on my boys.

I've got a cat who was rescued with a severe collar injury, and even though I got her when it was pretty much healed, the extent of it was horrific. So mine don't wear them. But Mantra's solution seems a good one I think if you want to go down the collar route.

I never considered thecatneuterer's point about people assuming a cat with a collar is owned, either! A good point.

Thanks everyone. Never heard of the Locaters - will investigate those.

But otherwise, the collars are definitely coming off.

As long as they're chipped I'd say no collar is fine.

our 2 had collars, to stop them catching birds - they managed to somehow do it anyway. no collars now.