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Original poster

What collar?

28 replies

FeedMyFaceWithBattenberg · 14/05/2017 19:04

Our Mr Black Cat has grown out of his collar, and then lost (after only a week!) his new one.
His original one was a puppy collar with a push release buckle as the quick release kitten ones wouldn't stay on him. The replacement was a cat one made by Rogs, and he's lost it along with the tag.
After quite a heavy duty collar that will stay on.
Thank you :)

OP posts:
thecatneuterer · 14/05/2017 19:42

Why do you want him to wear a collar at all? If he's chipped he doesn't need an identity tag. All collars are dangerous. The sort of collars that cats can't lose are very, very dangerous.

Fluffycloudland77 · 14/05/2017 19:58

I wouldn't bother, he'll lose it or injure himself trying.

Ours came through the flap on three legs & with the elastic caught on a lower canine tooth. He wouldn't have been able to get away from danger if he'd needed too & was quite shaken up by it.

Tubbyinthehottub · 14/05/2017 20:00

No collar at all. This has made me think of a terrible story about a neighbour's cat…

cozietoesie · 14/05/2017 20:02

I've never had a cat that would tolerate one for more than two minutes. It wasn't a resignation issue for me so I've never pushed it.

Original poster
FeedMyFaceWithBattenberg · 14/05/2017 20:10

I don't want him to get hurt but we live on an estate and if he got run over I don't trust that someone would take him to the vets.
Hence the collar. 🙈

OP posts:
Justmadeperfectflapjacks · 14/05/2017 20:15

After finding dcat hanging from a tree as a dc I would never buy another collar. And it was an elasticated one. .

robinia · 14/05/2017 20:17

No collar here either. If the cat is injured they need to get to a vet as priority, not waste time trying to locate the owner.

MycatsaPirate · 14/05/2017 20:17

None of ours have collars. They are all chipped and I just wouldn't want them getting caught up on branches or worse trying to get them off.

GardenGeek · 14/05/2017 20:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ElizaDontlittle · 14/05/2017 20:20

No collar here either, for the reasons as above. If the area you live is so rough and unpleasant that people won't help an injured animal (and I live in one of the rougher parts of one of the northern cities and I wouldn't say that), I think I'd be considering whether to let the cat out at all.

chemenger · 14/05/2017 20:21

I don't like collars since one of mine got a leg stuck through one.

thecatneuterer · 14/05/2017 21:08

At our clinic not a week goes by without at least one cat coming in with a collar injury. And they're the lucky ones. The ones that die don't get brought in.

If he were injured that anyone who cared enough to find the owner would hopefully care enough to get him to a vet or at least phone the RSPCA (who have scaled down radically the sort of things they deal with, but they do deal with that sort of thing).

Want2beme · 14/05/2017 21:09

Mine all wear safety collars with ID barrells & are chipped as well. None of my cats have had problems with collars, only losing them from time to time. I have 2 indoor cats and one who goes out & she's the one who loses them. I suppose I've always wanted people to know that they have a home & a collar signifies that.

Needingsomeadvice · 14/05/2017 21:42

Mine had a collar (quick release and elasticated) and a loc8tor on it. DCat1 was 3 when we got him and lost quite a few collars. DCat2 had acute HCM and the loc8tor gave us that added piece of mind that we could find him to give him his medication. Plus it was one which warned that he wasn't to be fed and that he was on medication. People around here tend to see a cat without a collar and assume they are a stray, so the collar helped with that. If they lost them, then at least I could find them using the tags.

Wolfiefan · 14/05/2017 21:44

None.
Hanging risk or risk of horrific collar injury.

PunkrockerGirl · 14/05/2017 21:51

Please don't Sad
Collars are for dogs, they are horrible dangerous things for cats.

chemenger · 15/05/2017 08:01

This is one of those things where lots of people who have never had a problem with collars will tell you they are fine and everyone who has seen a cat get a leg stuck or whatever for even a short time will tell you they are not worth it. Nobody is going to say, "yes, my cat got stuck in her collar and struggled to get home, but they look nice so just go for it" are they? If you are a regular here you know and trust thecatneuterer, she works for one of the most famous cat rescue organisation there is. Read her post again. Don't get a collar.

Kokusai · 15/05/2017 11:00

Why do you want him to wear a collar at all?

Because people equate no collar = stray.

There are loads of (stupid idiots) on a local FB group I am on who constantly post "does anyone know this cat, he was in my garden and friendly but I thought he looked hungry so I've fed him and taken him inside"

Kokusai · 15/05/2017 11:01

Luckily I don't have to worry about that since the garden is cat proofed so kitten doesn't have a collar

Original poster
FeedMyFaceWithBattenberg · 15/05/2017 23:11

As I've said I don't want him to get hurt, i love him but I'd like him to have a collar for peace of mind. With a bell to stop him bringing in baby bunnies preferably, little bugger!!

OP posts:
thecatneuterer · 15/05/2017 23:33

Well, I think you would have more peace of mind without a collar.

Needingsomeadvice · 16/05/2017 12:07

What Kokusai said. So many people appear to equate no collar with the cat being a stray. And feel free to take them in, feed them etc. Not right, but it does happen. Plus, with my cat the fact that he had his tracker tag on actually saved his life on a few occasions. I removed all extra bits such as the bell, and the collar did definitely quick release, but for me it actually was peace of mind. Yes, I could have kept him indoors for the rest of his life, but he was miserable indoors, and even his vet said to let him live his life. Yes it's a risk, but you are already taking a risk by letting the cat out are you not?

ZeroFuchsGiven · 16/05/2017 12:10

As I've said I don't want him to get hurt, i love him

If this is true then you wouldn't even be considering putting a collar on your cat.

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 16/05/2017 12:20

I have mixed feelings about collars. Harry no longer wears one (our garden is cat proofed so he can't get out) but I genuinely believe we wouldn't have got William back if he hadn't been wearing one. At the time he looked like the poor old stray that he had been and no one looking at him would have realised he'd just moved into a loving home.

Needingsomeadvice · 16/05/2017 12:22

FeedMyFaceWithBattenberg if you do put one on him, don't be tempted to put a dog one on, as these are designed for dogs, not cats. You should get one of the safer ones designed for cats that very easily falls off with the minimum of pressure in case it snags on something. Test it regularly as well. If he's losing them then they are probably the right type. And although you don't want it too tight, be careful also that it's not too loose as it might catch on something.
If you can get away without a collar, then it may be safer, but plenty of cats do wear them (including mine when he was alive) without incident.

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