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The litter tray

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

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Original poster

I will be homing 2 kittens any advice re collars?

22 replies

pinkksugarmouse · 06/02/2023 22:09

They are mini panthers, sisters and the last two in their litter. Foster mum is keeping them until next week because she wants to get their second jabs done before rehoming. They were born in her house and she has been handling them from day 1. They will be 12 weeks.
My beloved girl passed peacefully last summer aged 20 and she was 12 weeks when she first arrived.
Having looked at the photos they are absolutely identical. Their foster mum can tell them apart but she’s had them before birth. I didn’t put a collar on my old lady cat even when she was younger but I think I will have to with these girls.
Any collar recommendations for kittens?

I will be homing 2 kittens any advice re collars?

OP posts:

Original poster

pinkksugarmouse · 06/02/2023 22:11

This is my beautiful girl Mollie 2002-2022

OP posts:

MidnightMeltdown · 06/02/2023 22:18

Gorgeous kittens!

Just make sure that it's a quick release collar so that it comes off easily if it gets caught.

My girl has lost dozens, but better that than the alternative

QuestionableMouse · 06/02/2023 22:19

Keep them in and don't use collars.

Beamur · 06/02/2023 22:24

You will be able to tell them apart. I have 2 sisters, solid colour and they have several slight differences.
I don't bother with collars. Cats have to be chipped now, so you can usually be reunited if they get lost. Collars can cause injury, but if you really want one, get easy release ones in case they get caught on something.

mondaytosunday · 06/02/2023 22:27

I just get a bulk buy fabric ones from Amazon. They come in different colours and have a little bell. Then they wear a tag. The idea is to stop them catching birds or rodents (so far so good). They are quick release so occasionally get lost, which is why I always have a few on hand.

Sunshineandrainbow · 06/02/2023 22:29

Pair of beauts 💕

Wolfiefan · 06/02/2023 22:32

Bless Mollie. Beautiful girl.
Keep them in until neutered. You’ll know which is which by then. For now maybe the Velcro collars used by dog breeders to tell pups apart? I won’t use any proper collar. Even quick release. They don’t always.

CopperMaran · 06/02/2023 22:59

Having found a cat hanging its “quick release” collar extremely near death of a rural walk in the middle of nowhere, I would never ever put a collar on a cat.
I love near identical cats. They don’t need you to tell them apart immediately and you soon will as they behave different or have a couple of different coloured hairs somewhere.

Thatcatisdrivingmenuts · 06/02/2023 23:12

Our cat half removed his collar (not too loose either) as far as over his bottom jaw, and was spinning and choking. It didn't quick release, as advertised. We managed to cut it off, but he did bleed.

Icequeen01 · 06/02/2023 23:16

Please don't use collars. One of my previous cats got his mouth caught in his collar whilst we were out at work. God only knows how long he was like that. He was traumatised and had to have stitches around his mouth as he had a really deep cut.

There is no need for any cat to have a collar and I would worry about two kittens play fighting and getting a collar caught.

viques · 06/02/2023 23:21

I agree, my current cat nearly had to have a leg amputated because it got caught in a collar and caused a horrendous injury. Luckily the rescue vets saved the leg but the scarring is extensive.

viques · 06/02/2023 23:22

Ps the kittens are gorgeous. They will be such fun to watch as they grow up.

Ellmau · 06/02/2023 23:33

They look adorable. Is the one on the left slightly fluffier?

Irisheyesareshining · 06/02/2023 23:35

No to collars, I bought a quick release one and my poor kitten died after getting stuck on a tree branch . I still can’t bare the thought of it 😢

Unexpecteddrivinginstructor · 06/02/2023 23:44

Is there any reason why you have to tell them apart at the moment? I am sure you will get to know them as individuals soon and until then if they get mixed up occasionally would it matter?

Grimchmas · 06/02/2023 23:53

No to collars, as others have said it's just too easy for accidents to happen, even with quick release ones.

I've known puppy breeders put a dab of coloured paint on an ear to be able to tell them apart - or you could clip a small area of fur on one.

Clarich007 · 07/02/2023 10:35

No to collars here too. Apart from losing them they don't always release. They are gorgeous by the way!

MrsSkylerWhite · 07/02/2023 10:39

We’ve never used collars. First cat passed peacefully at 21. Subsequent brother and sister passed within a few months at 19. Our current feline family are 9 and 3x 2.

Just microchip. You’ll soon know their characters and which is which.

Have fun 😁

Florissant · 07/02/2023 13:54

How about paper collars of different colours?

Beamur · 07/02/2023 15:08

We picked our kittens out before they were ready to come home with us. There were 4 that looked exactly the same - so they could tell which ones we had picked they put a mark with Sharpie in their ears! It did wear off.

Toddlerteaplease · 07/02/2023 20:29

Didn't take me long to tell my identical pair apart. Well in the daylight at least. Never quite sure after dark.

thecatneuterer · 08/02/2023 14:58

Don't use collars. All collars are dangerous. The easiest way to tell them apart is to blunt cut the fur at the end of the tail of one of them.

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