Cat Collars

[Caspianberg]

Does anyone know what the safest collars are for cats?

Ours are both almost 4 years old and have never worn one so far. However, someone keeps feeding and I think locking one cat in their house often, so I’m wanting something I can use a few months that I can add name, and do not feed.

Is it worth just a temporary paper one? How do you stick them around?

Or is there some super quick release ones now incase they get caught on tree or bushes? I have always thought they were dangerous safety wise

How do you know someone is feeding? If you have an idea who then the best course of action would be to knock on the door and speak to them.

You can get 'paper' collars, which you can write on, but these are made of a strengthened paper which is in fact so strong that these are also a choking hazard, and you need to put a cut in the collar to enable it to tear more easily. Rescues have them, and probably some vets, but I can't find where they are for sale to the public online.

Safety collars have a pull apart clip. But you need to be careful with these too and check regularly that they still pull apart. And be aware that spot on flea treatments can in effect fuse the plastic and make them impossible to pull apart. And then how would you attach the note?

There are collars with barrels than you can put a little note inside. These will work if you are trying to determine if a cat has a home, but it won't be obvious to any feeder that they need to open and read it.

I actually think your best course of action would be to do some leaflets with a photo of your cat on and ask people not to feed him. There can surely be only a smallish number of houses where is could be being fed?

You can buy do not feel me collars which are normal with the words woven into the collar, often in reflective material.

Reflective material on collars is a good idea. They should also always have an elasticated portion so cats can get out of them if they get stuck.

Ah, the words woven into the collar are a good idea, I didn't know they existed. However collars with elasticated portions are still dangerous and we see appalling collar wounds in our clinic caused by these. However it could be worth risking it as a short term measure - say a couple of weeks - that's long enough to get the message across.

I've just googled and here is one with a safety pull apart clip
www.amazon.co.uk/ZACAL-Collars-Release-Buckle-Travels/dp/B086RQJHXC/ref=asc_df_B086RQJHXC?hvlocphy&linkCode=df0&psc=1&hvnetw=o&hvlocint&hvdev=c&hvadid=80539328251056&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&hvtargid=pla-4584138865985742

But you still need to check the mechanism regularly and avoid using at the same time as flea treatments.

@thecatneuterer - we know 100% she was going to one neighbour. She used to be around all day, but they moved in 18 months ago and she was going more often.
But having spoke to them several times they say they do let her go in and sleep as doors open, but they 100% don’t feed her bar the odd bit of yogurt, but only a tiny bit maybe once a week.

We then have two other potential neighbours that could be, but both have additional needs of some sort. I have asked them both in passing if they have seen her or fed and they say no. But I’m not sure.

Dh and work from home. Cats are siblings. Cat 1 is here almost all day and eats as usual, but cat 2 only come in either around 11pm in car flap to eat ( and it’s then locked until 6am). And goes out before we are up again. The last few weeks she definitely hasn’t eaten anything here all day, and when comes in late eats maybe 1/4 plate and nothing else. So she isn’t at all hungry and is still healthy weight.

I was hoping a collar might mean those who deny they see the cat, might read it and stop?

Also in a different language so isn’t easy to explain to them without straight away accusing of stealing cat.

Yes I had seen those printed ones off local Amazon. No elastic and can print name, our address and do not feed.

I don’t think it would be anyone else, as not many other houses, and those ones that are we know better and they know cat and that we haven’t seen often and say they haven’t either. Compared to the first 2/3 years when she wasn’t also always around ours and their gardens