Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK

Cat General => General Cat Chat => Topic started by: Gwen on July 11, 2007, 17:42:16 PM

Title: Do your cats wear collars?
Post by: Gwen on July 11, 2007, 17:42:16 PM
Mine don't mainly because I am worried sick about them getting stuck on a tree or something and strangle themselves to death as we have a lot of trees around here and Ging loves to sleep up in our one in the garden,thats where he gets his "me" time.

Title: Re: Do your cats wear collars?
Post by: Millys Mum on July 11, 2007, 17:52:21 PM
Nope, i dont trust safety collars either. 3 of mine got their jaw stuck even tho i couldnt tighten it anymore, well i could have but breathing would of become an issue... I wanted peace of mind when they first went outside but i didnt get it when they kept doing that!
Title: Re: Do your cats wear collars?
Post by: Sabrina (Auferstehen) on July 11, 2007, 18:24:51 PM
Used to have a collar on Penguin with an ID tag years ago when we had dogs and there was a chance he would get out.

Took it off him once I moved, and none of the other cats wear one.
Title: Re: Do your cats wear collars?
Post by: tab on July 11, 2007, 19:11:04 PM
Mogs came from the rescue with a collar on and it stayed there for quite some time as she wasnt the most friendly cat. Amber then moved in so I put a collar on her as well because I thought cats should have collars, anyway Amber wasnt impressed and shredded the first one, stretched the second one until it came over her head and shredded the third one which stayed until she removed the collar and the plastic collar after being spayed. I put the collar back but shed done so much damage that whilst I was watching she got it round her leg and mouth so I gave up. I then took the collar off Mogs as it had a bell on and Amber was taking advantage and jumping Mogs as she could hear her coming. Now we have no collars  :evillaugh:
love
Tab
Title: Re: Do your cats wear collars?
Post by: JackSpratt on July 11, 2007, 19:51:47 PM
Yep, mine have all worn them since I got them. After seeing some of the pictures of what an elastic safety collar can do though, they all wear breakaway collars now. (I've even got my mum and sister putting that sort on their cats after telling about the topics I'd read on here.)

Title: Re: Do your cats wear collars?
Post by: ccmacey on July 11, 2007, 19:55:03 PM
Nope, i dont trust safety collars either. mine get their jaw stuck.

Same here. Although if there were a collar that was TOTALLY safe I would get them.
Title: Re: Do your cats wear collars?
Post by: deniseb90 on July 11, 2007, 19:59:44 PM
No, none of mine have collars.  The fosters have them on just in case they escape and then can be returned.  However, I personally don't like using them.  Had foster cats come into me with collars that have been very very tight. 
Title: Re: Do your cats wear collars?
Post by: Michelle (furbabystar) on July 11, 2007, 20:00:22 PM
None of my 11 cats wear collars - i dont trust them not even the snap quick ones

There are all mirco-chipped though
Title: Re: Do your cats wear collars?
Post by: Susanne (urbantigers) on July 11, 2007, 20:03:46 PM
No collars here, but mine are indoor cats.
Title: Re: Do your cats wear collars?
Post by: ccmacey on July 11, 2007, 20:07:37 PM
I have been thinking about getting Harry a collar, he disappears for most of the day and I'm starting to think he's going to someone else's house and they may think he is homeless because he dosnt wear a collar. Mmm dont know what to think.  :-:
Title: Re: Do your cats wear collars?
Post by: JackSpratt on July 11, 2007, 21:18:02 PM
Mine are all microchipped too.
Title: Re: Do your cats wear collars?
Post by: Gill (sneakiefeline) on July 11, 2007, 22:19:10 PM
No collars on mine but they are all chipped.

Just dont think collars are safe but Misa wouldnt wear one and Sasa, well I cant touch her!!!!!!!!!!!!
Title: Re: Do your cats wear collars?
Post by: Tiggy's Mum on July 11, 2007, 22:45:29 PM
Not at the moment but as soon as they are big enough they will do (break-away ones of course), Marla at kitty collars has said they should be big enough at around 6 months.  In an ideal world collars wouldn't be necessary but it's not an ideal world and I think they are a necessary evil. 

They will be microchipped aswell, having it done while they are under a GA being neutered.  So at the moment they are very vulnerable, no collar and no chip but my house is like fort knox  :evillaugh:
Title: Re: Do your cats wear collars?
Post by: Gill (sneakiefeline) on July 11, 2007, 23:11:46 PM
With webcam  :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
Title: Re: Do your cats wear collars?
Post by: Desley (booktigger) on July 12, 2007, 08:00:32 AM
Mine are both chipped and have collars, Lucy will have one when I get round to finding one to fit her (even though she is a foster, she has outdoor access). I am also debating putting one on Kizzy, as she keeps sneaking onto my bedroom windowsill and upsetting Molly, that way i might hear her and stop her!!
Title: Re: Do your cats wear collars?
Post by: Ela on July 12, 2007, 08:04:05 AM
Whilst Cats Protection does not  support the tying of fixed devices round a cat's neck, it nevertheless recognizes that some cat owners do  put  collars  on their pets. On a number of occasions we have been called out to a cat who has had a collar round its leg and quite obviously they had been like it for many weeks, on a couple of occasions gangrene had set in and others have taken many months before healing and on one occasion one part never knitted together and the cat was left with a hole. Also  two cats were found hung with their collars on their owners fence in order to minimize risk of injury, they  suggest  the following: Choose  a  'quick  release' collar  in  preference  to other types. However, bear in mind that  'quick  release' collars do  not  always  live  up to  their name. Check a cat's collar regularly for fit. you should be able to get two fingers underneath the collar. If the collar is too loose, the cat is in increased danger of getting  ensnared  on a branch or other   object – or even through grooming itself. If the collar is too tight, the cat may try to get it off and also risks strangulation. Additionally, tight  collars  can  rub away  fur from around the neck, causing  collar burns and a bald ring. Cats can  grow and put  on weight. Collars fitted on kittens can quickly become too tight as the   animal grows. Weight gain on an adult cat can also cause a collar to get  too tight. Cats can also damage themselves  on collar bells and discs. 
I appreciate that some people have a collar on the cat as it holds the magnet  so only the family pet can get into the cat flap, however, if the cat shreds the collar it  also will  not be able to get into the cat flap.
If a bell is worn for wildlife  protection purposes, the  tinkle needs to be quite loud  to  be  effective.  Trapped claws can be  avoided  by  using a bell,  which  is  tapered with a large groove.  A  cat  can  develop  an  allergic  reaction to collar material. Should a cat start to scratch or show any signs of skin   irritation  after a  new  collar  is  fitted,  it  should  be removed  immediately.   Veterinary  treatment may  be required.   Remove   collar  when  the  at is indoors to allow the fur to grow and skin to air. Flea collars can vary in their effectiveness    depending  on  the active ingredients   used,  and as the ingredients  are  not prescription products many of them are as much use as a  chocolate  teapot.  There  are now a variety of flea treatments available including spot on liquids,  injections  and  liquids  which  can be added to food. Additional flea control treatments should not be given  when a flea collar is worn as this can result in illness.
Owners should also reconsider their reasons for fitting their cat with a collar to see if it is really necessary.  For example, a trendy collar is a pointless fashion accessory that serves a cat no purpose.
If a cat owner wants to provide their pet with identification, they are better off going for a microchip as this is the only safe and permanent method of identifying a cat. Fears about the cat’s visibility particularly around traffic, can be partially allayed by keeping felines in during hours of darkness.
If, however, the plan is to protect wildlife, then keeping the cat in at night and in the early morning can help reduce cat predation, as can following some of the suggestions in Cats Protection's Cats and Gardens leaflet (see www.cats.org.uk then cat care, leaflets).

On a number of occasions our branch of Cats Protection has been called out to a cat who has had a collar round its leg and quite obviously they had been like it for many weeks, on a couple of occasions gangrene had set in and others have taken many months before healing and on one occasion one part never knitted together and the cat was left with a hole.  Even some of the so called safety collars have been involved in some of the incidents. A few years Cats Protection had a safety collar designed which was supposed to be ultra safe. however they withdrew it when some cats had problems with it.

Title: Re: Do your cats wear collars?
Post by: CurlyCatz on July 12, 2007, 10:28:34 AM
Nope mine dont have collars.  All are indoor cats and all are chipped.  When i got cody i spent ages trying to decide which "bling bling" collar to get him and i was more than willing to spend obscene amount of money for a fancy designer one.  However i quickly decided against it as a collar would only spoil his looks and fantastic long neck with his gorgeous little curls. 

I did buy sebastian a reflective kittycat collar last year and its a good collar but he soon learned how to take it off  >:(

Fraser used to wear a collar with no problems but he still has the ring round his neck where it was and hasnt had one on for years.
Title: Re: Do your cats wear collars?
Post by: clarenmax on July 12, 2007, 10:35:36 AM
Maxy does wear one, but its mainly in the Summer as I'm terrfied that one day he'll do a Houdini act and manage to get out somehow.   I'm so paranoid that he might manage it one day, even though we only have the windows open a fraction, and that he'll get picked up as a stray if no collar, and as he's FIV, well we know what some organisations do to FIV cats  :(

I intend to get him chipped in the Winter when I take him for his annual MOT, then I'll remove the collar altogether as he looks so much sleeker without it.

I only use the safety collars now though.
Title: Re: Do your cats wear collars?
Post by: ems on July 12, 2007, 10:43:24 AM
Both of mine are collared and chipped even though they are indoor. Same reasons as Clare, terrified if they get out what would happen to them. The area we live in isn't very cat friendly and i'd worry what people would do if they thought they were strays.  :-[

Both safety collars obv

Totallly understand other people's reasons for not putting them on their babes though.  ;D

Title: Re: Do your cats wear collars?
Post by: Ralph's mum (angie) on July 12, 2007, 10:46:35 AM
 Yes Max wears a collar with a bell on so I can hear him about the house and as he thinks hes Houdini I can know where he is, hiding behind the Bannister and pouncing on your ankles or chasing me up the stairs( he only does this with me no one else in the house get this attention!!!!),  yes and he is chipped as well.  Must say it is one of the break away type ( a bit like himself) :rofl: :rofl:

[attachment deleted by admin]
Title: Re: Do your cats wear collars?
Post by: Sarah (seldom_use) on July 12, 2007, 11:55:08 AM
My three don't wear collars. I bought one for Tilly and she HATED it.

She is microchipped and indoor anyways (we're in a top floor flat, so no houdini acts to the outside  ;))

I also agree with Lynn, I think they look better without their collars (mines i mean,) they look more natural than having a piece of plastic, etc around their neck :(

However if I ever had to get an outdoor cat (more than likely wouldn't) I would reconsider the collar idea obv.
Title: Re: Do your cats wear collars?
Post by: Ela on July 12, 2007, 13:34:49 PM
Quote
a fraction, and that he'll get picked up as a stray if no collar, and as he's FIV, well we know what some organisations do to FIV cats

Nowadays many rescues have scanners so the likelihood of that happening should be greatly reduced and I would think most if not all vets would scan a stray before considering PTS. I must say though that we would not home a FIV cat to go out, although I appreciate one could escape.
Title: Re: Do your cats wear collars?
Post by: Ela on July 12, 2007, 13:36:56 PM
Quote
Both safety collars obv


Many of the cats we have taken in with horrendous injuries had worn so called safety collars.
Title: Re: Do your cats wear collars?
Post by: clarenmax on July 12, 2007, 14:30:29 PM
I must say though that we would not home a FIV cat to go out, although I appreciate one could escape.

I'm sure any rescues who home FIV cats insist they are kept as indoor only, certainly my branch of CP make that very clear. 

Its good to hear that stray /unknown cats are pretty much routinely scanned for a chip as well.  Do chips have only contact details, or can you put down medical information on the file as well, i.e. 'known to be an FIV cat and does have a home' type of thing?
Title: Re: Do your cats wear collars?
Post by: Ela on July 12, 2007, 14:46:20 PM
Quote
can you put down medical information on the file as well

On the idENTICHIP registration form there is a box to enter notable conditions.
Title: Re: Do your cats wear collars?
Post by: clarenmax on July 12, 2007, 14:54:36 PM
Thanks Ela  ;D
Title: Re: Do your cats wear collars?
Post by: reneemaaa on July 12, 2007, 15:17:27 PM
No collars for mine. The lady from the CP put one on Otto and gave us one for Freya, but we took the collar off Otto and Freya never had one. I am far too fretful to put a collar on them and my parents never did with their cats. I don't think Ivan would stand for one, but I'm not about to find out.
Title: Re: Do your cats wear collars?
Post by: Felix (Caroline) on July 12, 2007, 15:41:46 PM
Our two cats that go out wear collars but the other three indoor ones don't.