Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK
Cat General => General Cat Chat => Topic started by: saxamania on November 07, 2007, 20:46:06 PM
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Hi i'm a design student and currently designing a cat tracking device i need to do a survey for my work. Could you all please take a piece of ribbon and measure the circumfrence of your cats neck and post the size in millimeters and the cats age please. I would be very greatful for your help.
many thanks
L.Watts
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Just to warn you but many of us do not agree with cats in collars here, and even those who do would only ever use a quick release safety collar.
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A newly designed quick release clasp is fitted onto the collar. I would never design anything that could cause harm to the cat.
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Sounds good ;D
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NEck size doesn't go off the age of the cat though.
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I dont dare doing that to Phoebe :scared:, i still need my hands :evillaugh: :evillaugh:
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Kittycollars make theirs adjustable between 20 & 30cm so that must be the general range.
http://www.kittycollars.co.uk/reflective-cat-collars.htm
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Just to warn you but many of us do not agree with cats in collars here, and even those who do would only ever use a quick release safety collar.
Im confused, who doesn't agree with cat collars??? A cat without a collar is a stray! :rofl: Barry has a Diamond collar and he looks damn good in it!
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Im confused, who doesn't agree with cat collars??? A cat without a collar is a stray! :rofl: Barry has a Diamond collar and he looks damn good in it!
Collar's can cause devastating injuries to Cat's (there is a post on Purr's with picture's about this :( )
Most people seem to be opting for the Micro-chipping, as it's safer ;)
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Hobbes used to have a flea collar, but it was always tricky to decide how loose/tight it should be. I didn't want him to be uncomfortable so I had it sort of loose, but he liked to chew on it and one time he's got his jaw stuck there and couldn't get out, I had to cut the collar with the scissors!!
Luckily here we don't have a flea problem and Oliver stays inside, so there is no need for flea collars... :)
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SR, a lot of people on here have dealt with severe collar injuries, so dont advocate the use of them (although I do use them on my two, well, if I ever get round to putting Molly's back on).
Dolcetta - flea collars aren't worth the money, they are generally ineffective, and if you ever do have an issue with fleas, you are best off getting spot ons from the vet.
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Good morning Saxmania
:welcome: to Purrs
I have to say from a previous comment (no good at the quote thing) microchipping is no guarantee that your cat will not get lost, my Gizmo disappeared off the face of the earth last year, gone without a trace.
I bought a tracking device off Ebay for £60, the same one is available from Pet Planet for £120, it is the Loc8tor tracker, I have only used it inside the house so far and have not tried it outside, I doubt the range is going to be brilliant.
Cats will never stop getting lost but if you can design a good tracker with a decent range then we have a better chance of finding them if they do get lost.
Very much look forward to updates about this.
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My cats dont wear collars and they are certainly not strays!
I dont see how this could amount to a general size, cats can be young and big, small and old, or vice versa, I dont think cats of the same age will all be around the same size. :shy:
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The perfect device would be something that could track from the microchip. Maybe in the future? - I remember over 5 years ago saying that wouldn't it be good if there was a catflap that could read a microchip. One of my friends suggested patenting the idea but I laughed an dismissed it. Now there is the Petaporte :Crazy:
One thing is the Loc8tor and also the collar that protects birds have dangerous buckle collars. So making microchips with a transmitter in is the only way to go IMO.
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I like this site but sometimes wonder how certain people on it get through daily life without having a breakdown. Saying dont put a collar on a cat as it might cause injury to it is like saying dont drive a car as they kill cats (probably more than collars). Barry is Microchipped but also has a collar. The main reason is to let someone know who he is etc if he ran away. Some people would not bother if the cat had no identity tag on it (as its sad to admit, there too busy with there lives), some people might decide to adothe cat as they think it has no owner, but if they knew it lived 5 mins down the round they would contact you.
I also think Barry looks pimping with a diamond studded collar (its a safety one, im not that ignorant)
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I can only suggest you speak to the people involved in rescue and the horrific collar injuries they have dealt with. Do a search and you find pictures from Paws Inn of exactly what can happen.
If Barry wears a safety collar, how many times has it quick released cos he has caught it on something or managed to get it off..................it must have cost you a fortune in diamonds!!
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My cats dont' wear collars but they are indoor cats. I'm not keen on collars for a variety of reasons, but if my cats went outside they would probably wear a safety collar (break away type only) for id. But a safe collar is one that will come off easily so it's very possible that if the cat wanders off it will lose it's collar anyway. I prefer microchipping as a form of id. Of course some people will not take what they think is a stray cat for scanning, but that's why I'd like to see vets scan all new pets brought to them.
There's nothing wrong with wanting to avoid serious injuries and collars have been responsible for many an amputated leg, or worse.
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When I first put a collar on Ted he got it stuck round his jaw and it cut into his gums, I felt awful so it's been collars off since then.
I took Pippa (a stray) to the vets to be scanned, I would do this with any cat I thought was stray, but then again some people just dont know about microchipping.
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but then again some people just dont know about microchipping.
You are quite right but a start in the right direction is that thankfully more and more rescues are nowadays microchipping all kittens/cats before re-homing.
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I know cats can injure themselves but knowing alot of people who own cats, I have never seen any injuries. As there are alot of people who obviously work in cat rescue centres then of course they are going to see more than there fair share, but what pecentages is it, I doubt its a massive problem. If it was then Im sure it would have been addressed and NO cats on this site would have them, but they do.
Barrys collar has an elastic bit which is held in by two small stiches and is the same make as his last one, which when It got tatty I decided to test it. Luckily his bling bling one is fine and in 18 months of owning this cat he has never lost his collar.
But a safe collar is one that will come off easily so it's very possible that if the cat wanders off it will lose it's collar anyway.
I dont agree, its no more likely than usual.
I can only suggest you speak to the people involved in rescue and the horrific collar injuries they have dealt with. Do a search and you find pictures from Paws Inn of exactly what can happen.
Like I said before, do we keep our cats inside just so they dont get run over??? You go speak to a paramedic and get him to show you pictures, but would you stop driving??? If you are going to say 'well by putting a collar on your increasing the chances of it happening' fair enough but by what percentage???. They are alot of dangers out there but Im not wrapping my cat in cotton wool and sacrificing his quality of life just because something may happen. For someone to tell me not to advocate the wearing of collars just annoys me. Can you tell!!
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SR elasticated collars are the ones that cause the problems as they don't always break and the elastic is usually enough to stretch the collar so the cat can get it caught in his jaw or under his arm. Also have you not hear of cats being strangled by getting collars caught up in tree branches.
The only real safe ones are the buckles and even they should be tested to check they are not too stiff. The downside is that you do tend to loose them.
Please also try and not get too personal in your posts as I don't want this thread to decay into a flaming exercise. The people on here have a lot of experience with rescue and speak from experience.
Yes, something to detect the chip would be brilliant but i was told this would not be practical as the chip would need to have a power source and they don't have , they are activated by the scanner at the moment. Even if a bettery small enough was invented that would last for life, I'm not sure if I'd want it implanted in any cat of mine.
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Hi i'm a design student and currently designing a cat tracking device i need to do a survey for my work. Could you all please take a piece of ribbon and measure the circumfrence of your cats neck and post the size in millimeters and the cats age please. I would be very greatful for your help.
many thanks
L.Watts
This is all this person has come on for and they are faced with this- everyone blooming bickering!
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For someone to tell me not to advocate the wearing of collars just annoys me.
All I can say is that until it happens to you personally I hope it never does) or you work in rescue as many do on here it is impossible to imagine how you would feel when cats with horrendous injuries come in that could so easily have been prevented. Even the so called safety collars do not always do what the should do. Sometimes we spend months nursing back a cat to health with terrible injuries due to a collar. I have no idea about percentages, all I know is they are needless injuries and could have been prevented.
Luckily his bling bling one is fine and in 18 months of owning this cat he has never lost his collar.
As you say Lucky. I am constantly told Oh! have have to buy another collar my cats has lost it again. People are always coming into our Charity shop asking for collars many mention I have to buy one almost every week. We don't actually sell collars and advise micro-chipping.
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Im not getting personal Im answering posts and statements made by others, which is what Forums are for. Sh!tty collars made in china yes, but trust me under Barrys weight/strength it would definately snap I can assure you, so much so I can say I was suprised by how weak it was.
The person who told me to not advocate the wearing of them is also a hypocrite, as they have collars for there cats, so can you not see why I respond?? Its hard to voice an opinion on Purrs sometimes as the people are so varied, which I have found through experience. I do believe that some people do go over-the-top on certain issues and try and push things on others. If you dont want your cat to wear a collar dont.
What about the safety issue, my Black cat is impossible to see at night, but its collar has a reflective strip which makes him very noticable, surely thats a good thing.
For once Macey I agree with you!
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quote]do believe that some people do go over-the-top on certain issues and try and push things on others.[/quote]
I don’t consider the advice over the top, If you had to deal with the consequences of cats that have worn a collar and the suffering the cats have to endure I am sure you too would think we are giving sound advice. I understand perfectly why you have no idea. I must also say that it is collars of all types and qualities that can and have caused the terrible injuries I have over the years dealt with. Yes even heavy (ish) diamond encrusted ones, well perhaps not diamonds, as then the collars would not have ended up in the dustbin. Then again covered in gung when the flesh has gone gangrenous perhaps it would.
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hey guys some sizes would be really useful. I need the sizes because having waterproof wires running through the length if the collar to distribute the weight evenly is making it very hard to make adjustable so it could only be adjustable a tiny bit so the collar would be manufactured in 3 or 4 different sizes. It will have thorough safety checks and have a safety clasp fitted so it would come off if the kitty got caught on anything of got its leg through it. The clasp will come apart when a certain pressure is exerted on it. The good thing would be if your cat lost it you can easily find it again with the tracking device.
The loc8tor is a good idea but its a radio transmitter I'm designing a gps data puller so it will give the location of the cat in realtime on a full colour map and would most probably have a range of over a few miles.
Also i ask about the age of the cat because if they are under 1-2 years old the data will be inefficient since the cats are still growing.
Please please please post some sizes i really need this for my research
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Just to warn you but many of us do not agree with cats in collars here, and even those who do would only ever use a quick release safety collar.
Im confused, who doesn't agree with cat collars??? A cat without a collar is a stray! :rofl: Barry has a Diamond collar and he looks damn good in it!
Max has one as well but he looks like someone from the village people when he wears it, so its not aloud :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
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Do you need the measurement close or loose around the neck?
I will try to post mine later :) Do you need cats age aswell?
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Sorry your thread has been hijacked, but as one who does not advocate collars I will pass on this. Cats Protection did a lot of research as to collar sizes and even a special one they had designed that was supposed to be ultra safe caused problems and was withdrawn . They had it in different sizes but soon realized that was not nearly enough. I would also expect there must be hundreds of different measurements down to a fraction of an inch.
Also i ask about the age of the cat because if they are under 1-2 years old the data will be inefficient since the cats are still growing.
I appreciate they are still growing and older cats sometimes loose weight but different breeds and even moggies vary enormously from birth almost so it would be impossible to get the correct size collar for every cat. You would need loads of different sizes for a perfect fit.
It will have thorough safety checks and have a safety clasp fitted so it would come off if the kitty got caught on anything of got its leg through it. The clasp will come apart when a certain pressure is exerted on it.
Unfortunately this would have been gone into by the manufacturers of the so called safety collar that are now available and many of them have not always realeased.
Sorry this is not what you want to here.
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Tried sorry, but i think he thought i was mad and bopped then bit me , try again after dont want to freak him
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Hey sax for what its worth i have the following
1 @ 28cm (around 10 years old)
1 @ 25cm (around 13/14 years old)
1 @ 23cm (20 mnths old)
All the above measurements were taken for good collar fits.
You never know sax maybe you will come up with some new design that meets all requirements, well done on you for trying and i wish you well, if no one ever tried new things we would still be in the dark ages ;).
SpecialRed i got to add that having grown up on a farm with many cats, worked along side vets since the age of 15 I can honestly say i never saw a cat collar injury, i did know of a couple to jar their mouths and come in "lodged" but that was it. However having been a member of here and catchat before hand for over 1 1/2 year now i have seen and heard of a handful of serious terrible injurys & limb amputations and we've viewed the horrendous photos. I did not realise myself how serious this was but i always say it doesnt matter how much you know you never stop learning and through being a member i can say i'd never put a normal elasticated collar on a cat again and would advise against them. Of course I always made everyone aware of dog type collars where there was no give at all but the elastic ones can be just as dangerous. I probably wouldnt like the idea of my cats going out without a collar so would go down the reflective kittysafe click lock route if they were outdoors.
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thank you lynn and thanks for trying bobsmum. i need the measurement so you can still get 2 fingers behind it as if you were fitting a collar. if your cat already has a collar on you can just measure the circumference of this.
Hopefully my design will meet all requirements. I have lived with cats all my life and since i am an artist too i know every inch of a cats body because i sculpt them.
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you should post some pics or examples sax , we'd love to see them on here even if its perhaps not quite to do with your research :Luv2:
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Right now my hard drive has died and i'm trying to extract them now. once i have them i will post some pictures of my current sculpture. Thank you for the interest.
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Please please please post some sizes i really need this for my research
Come on everyone, anyone else got measurements for Saxamania...
Here's mine:
Two 8 month old boys, both 22cm.
I'm designing a gps data puller so it will give the location of the cat in realtime on a full colour map and would most probably have a range of over a few miles.
Wow, sounds impressive :wow:
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sorry I'm at work, if I can find a tape measure I'll do it tonight
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Max is 23cm and he's 3 Y O
This cost me a cheesy blob distraction :evillaugh:
Good Luck Sax with the research
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Just for an experiment I have just measured my biggest cat she is quite huge but obviously her neck is not as it is only 21cm she is 17ish. I measured a 17 year old cat who is no bigger than a 4-5 month old kitten and weighs less than 2kg her neck is 22cm
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Thanks for the replys this is all very helpful. Keep them coming guys
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Sorry I cant do cos mine hate anything round their necks......ummmm so do I lol
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Blips collar size would be 24 /25 cm and she is nine years old.
However, I am strongly against cat collars for the reasons Ela gives. As a marketer, may I suggest this should be of interest to saxamania, because a substantial proportion of the target market would not buy the product.
I like the idea of a transmitter though and wonder if there could be some other safe way to attach it (beyond my wit to devise this).
Edited as I don't think I allowed enough 'give' in my original measurement...
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The only other way to attach it would be a harness but that is even worse than a collar or an implant under the skin but technology hasnt advanced that far yet plus it would be very costly.
I understand everyones problems with collars and it is down to the owner if they want to put a collar on their cats. I had problems with collars when i was younger one cat had a reaction to the material and has a constant bald patch right round his neck for the rest of his life and my other cat fell in my pond and got her foot caught in her collar luckily she managed to still get out of the pond but wasnt too happy about it.
Since the safety clasps have been release i havent had any trouble with collars what so ever.
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Have done 5 out 6 but these are probably looser than a collar would be as my cats hate things round their necks and they all now think im a raving loon, well more so than normal :rofl:
Tabitha 24cm 18 months old
Lola 27cm 5 years old
Milly 24cm 8 years old
Spike - hid under bed
Taz a stocky 30cm 18months old
Simon 25cm 2 years old
Im on the anti collar brigade too :)
A rigid collar with weight on it would probably rub when it gets to the stage of testing. Would it matter if a device hung lower like a catflap magnet/name tag?
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At the moment i am running through alot of the development of it so it could end up a tag but the weight would all be on the front which isnt very efficient the collar i am designing will have the weight distributed evenly and will weigh less than 80grams. most probably end up been about 40grams.
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I have 2 cats in now who obviously had a collar on at some time in their life. I know one of them has not had a collar on for at least 5 years` yet he still has fur missing on his neck and his fur looks like it has been squashed by a collar even after at least 5 years.
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It sounds like he has had a collar on too tight at some point. I take my cats collar off daily and brush the fur around his collar and give him some time with it off. He only really needs it when he leaves the house.
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ok 1min to measure & 10mins of playing with tape measure :evillaugh: :Luv:
Misty 24cm and 16.6 yrs old
GSOH, Likes quiet night's in
and Long Snoozes, Looking
For an attractive Feline with
similar Intrest's for Friendship............Maybe More ;)
:rofl:
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:rofl: Stuart.
PS my fraser used to wear a collar which was never tight and has not worn one for many many years , 7+ id say and he still has a baldy ring around his neck too :tired:
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Jaffa is 29cm and he's 10 years old
Mosi is 25cm (he's long haired so some of that will be fur!) and he's 2 years old (nearly)
That's quite a close fit (but not tightly pulled) - a collar may need to be a bit looser.
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Afraid I dont think any of mine will let me - if Molly would, her collar would actually be on her again!! I still say that age is irrelevant though - I have had cats that have been too fat for normal collars, yet cats of the same age who would have been fine.
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Homer - 7 months = 22 cms
Spotty - 14 = 25 cms
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I understand your point Ela and agree its out of concern, im just trying to weigh up the pros and the cons. ;)
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It sounds like he has had a collar on too tight at some point. I take my cats collar off daily and brush the fur around his collar and give him some time with it off.
Many, many years ago when I used to let my cats out they did have collars and they were most certainly not fitted too tight, they were also taken off when they cats were in for the night . Even with this done and not having a collar on for about 10 yrs you could still tell that at some time in their life they had worn a collar.
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still say that age is irrelevant though
I agree 100%, we get old cats the size of kittens and kittens huge.
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still say that age is irrelevant though
It's like saying everyone at a certain age will all be the same size.
I think you need to stick to the guidelines of small, medium and large.
Are you trying to distuniguish a pattern with age/size?
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No its just easier to view the results plus its just in case someone has an 8 week old kitten and posts their size it will be completely irrelevant to what i need to know so i can easily discard their info.
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So what age/size of cat are you making the device for?
I have an 8 week old kitten, I was going to post hers as a joke lol
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Once i have all of the info, I need at least 100 sizes, i will look at the 3 or 4 most common sizes and create the collars. each collar will be able to be adjusted by a few centimeters so a huge size range will be available.
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Would it not work better with a microchip then even people who dont like to put collars on would buy it too ;) I would say the majority of people dont put collars on their cats. If they were so worried about their cat getting lost surely they would just put a colar and address tag on them? Its been said before that even though the cat is chipped the finder doesn't always know to get them scanned.
How much do you think this would be priced at? Just an estimate will do. :)
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Would it not work better with a microchip then even people who dont like to put collars on would buy it too
I wouldnt :evillaugh: At the moment microchips are inactive until a scanner goes over it. To be able to track via the chip would mean it would need a power source and i wouldnt have a battery put in my cats
If they were so worried about their cat getting lost surely they would just put a colar and address tag on them?
I worry about my cats going awol but wont use a collar because i think the threat of being hung/jaw injuries are greater than getting lost.
Whats this about a new kitten CC, is it a perm resident?
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Hopefully the costs will be under £80 but since the technology is so advanced it could still be quite costly for the next couple of years then hopefully the prices will drop and the collar could be produced for less causing it to have a lower retail price.
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I hope you've filed your patent on this
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just wondering what type of breakaway clasp is it...don't tell me ;)
No I was just wondering about good old velcro ?? and you could cut to length, so's just enough to keep collar in place and no more :wow:
hence if Pussy Cat got into difficulties, the velcro would just release it's self, Ok Cat come's home with no collar(maybe defeating the point)
but with the technology of the transmitter you could find it again :wow:
I do know of other one's out there but their range is a measly 600yrds and cost about £100
& along with the microchipping, youd never loose your puss again ;D
Just a thought, or maybe I'm talking out of my A**E :evillaugh:
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:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
Misty is lovely seen Max having a wee peek :shify:
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velcro isnt a bad idea but when it gets wet its not much use at all and my cat must love rolling in puddles because some days he comes in wet and muddy even though its not raining. He's suck a mucktub but i still love him and its a good job he enjoys been dried with a towel.
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I am not trying to dampen your enthusiasm but when people won't pay £3 for a wormer, I think you would be very lucky to sell a lot. They will be for the wealthy and not for the likes of most of us on here.
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I worry about my cats going awol but wont use a collar because i think the threat of being hung/jaw injuries are greater than getting lost.
Yes MM this is the reason most wont put collars on, but it all came out wrong. What I meant to say was if people are that worried about their cat getting lost they would put collars and address tags on them instead of buying a very expensive device, I don't put collars on mine because of this very same reason.
Oh my new babe is in the cats stories section go chech her out ;)
I don't think it would work (sorry) because-
A- what about the multi- cat households, I'm sure it will never be cheap enough to buy 2, 3 or 4 etc. Do you get 1 and rotate the collar wearing with a 1 in 1 out system lol.
B- It puzzles you when your cat comes back in with no collar, could you imaging them loosing a collar at the cost of £80. You start to think all sorts could of happened so you vow never to put a collar on them again!
Last but no least-
C- You are trying to appeal to people that don't like to put collars on and people that simply wouldn't/couldn't afford it. The only people that would be able to buy it would be the rich folks that never let their ped's out, meaning the cat will not get lost hence there being no reason for the tracker collar.
Sorry just my views :shy:
I'm sure we all would love one if it were in some other form as we dread to think of our babes getting lost.
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I think it's a great idea and would definitely be interested in buying them if and when they're released. I'm in the 'collar's are a necessary evil' group, although I'd only ever use a breakaway one after seeing the pics of poor Rosie's leg.
The boys are indoor only at the moment, I'm looking to move somewhere with a garden suitable for catproofing but this would give me extra piece of mind that should they ever get lost then I could easily locate them.
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I am one of the no collar brigade but agree with Ela and CC that this is far too expensive for ordinary people and some will not even pay to get there cats neutered, have cat insurance or a chip which is far cheaper.
I think chipping and gettin all councils and vets to scan is a much better idea.
Quick release collars are the necessary type if a collar has to be used but surely to be able to locate the collar if its released but the cat still to be missing makes it all an expensive waste of time!
I applaud those who can design new things but surely market research needs to be done to see if its viable and I think the feed back you are getting here indicates that this is not a product that most here would buy or recommend. :(
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There is a market for this product. The people on this forum are a tiny speck of the population and similar products such as the Loc8tor are doing very well but is a radio transmitter not GPS - which is what i'm designing. If you dont want a collar on your cat simple solution dont buy one, this design will be for the percentage of the population that puts collars on their pets and worries when their cat still hasnt come home late at night and would like to know where it is.
DIfferent versions will be available to change the cost that people pay. There will be a version with just a collar and you visit a website to locate your pet or a version where you can have up to 3 collars registered to a handheld gps device.
Please if your not going to post the size and age of your cat or a relevant question could you please complain about collars on a different post as i am trying to get some valuble research done here.
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Actually, I think it is relevant if people are telling you they wouldn't buy the product - perhaps that shows that there ISN'T a market for it?! Far more valuable to you than neck sizes and ages (which don't tally by any means), I'd have thought? And I work in marketing and regularly commission market research so I do know my eggs on this one ... please don't be offended, I just think it's odd to ask for views and then say that any negative views aren't relevant.
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I just think it's odd to ask for views and then say that any negative views aren't relevant.
It's how local authority consultations work all the time. At present I am dealing with one that is determined to do one really dreadful thing with the argument that it is what the people want, and equally determined to do another silly thing that everyone has said they DON'T want, but which the authority thinks should be done - not reasonable to expect consultation to be logical ...
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It's how local authority consultations work all the time. At present I am dealing with one that is determined to do one really dreadful thing with the argument that it is what the people want, and equally determined to do another silly thing that everyone has said they DON'T want, but which the authority thinks should be done - not reasonable to expect consultation to be logical ...
:rofl: :rofl: Totally right BC - three years in a local authority taught me that!!
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It's how local authority consultations work all the time. At present I am dealing with one that is determined to do one really dreadful thing with the argument that it is what the people want, and equally determined to do another silly thing that everyone has said they DON'T want, but which the authority thinks should be done - not reasonable to expect consultation to be logical ...
EH ?????? :-:
this sounds like the jargon you get from a solicitors letter :shocked: I'm well confused :rofl:
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Please if your not going to post the size and age of your cat or a relevant question could you please complain about collars on a different post as i am trying to get some valuble research done here
Its a public forum open to everybodys views. You could always choose another forum with 900 members. If you can find one.
Please will all the sheep line up here
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Baaaaaaaaaaaaaa
(http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd228/culnara/sheep_racing.jpg)
:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
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sorry, we are easily distracted as you can tell, but as this is academic research - Smidgen 210mm - a six month old male abyssinian cross (oriental body type)
Esther 230 mm, female moggy, adult, age unknown. Is that better???
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Stuart - :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
I can't possibly go and measure anyone's neck now, I'm too hysterical.
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BTW I would like something that would allow me to track my little babes which could be implanted like a microchip - that way we could check out their location regardless of whether they have their collar on or not. With my lot I would be far more likely to spend hours following the blips only to discover I had been tracing the wereabouts of the collar - and the cat sitting at home laughing at me out there in the cold. Collars are disposable assets as far as most cats are concerned in my experience...
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Right so how many members are here, over 900? With how many cats between us? How many of us have said we would buy it? How do you figure that there is a market for it if not one soul on here said they would get one? :-:
this design will be for the percentage of the population that puts collars on their pets and worries when their cat still hasn't come home late at night and would like to know where it is.
So are you saying because we don't put collars on our cats we don't care? >:( I would say the people that put collars on would only be paying about a £5 for it anyway, so do you think they are going to pay what your asking :rofl:
I think your fighting a loosing cause, whats the point in making something for cats that a cat lover isn't going to buy?
And if you don't want anyone's opinion or feed back you should stand in the street and do a survey.
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I am afraid Saxa if you want to come on this forum , its not just a research tool that you can use as and when you want.
People here as you can see, have a lot of opinions and views and they will voice them.......it may not be what you want to hear but thats life!!
Are you going to be part of the Purrs community or are you just using us?
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I dont understand how it can be so hard just to get a few sizes. I went on an american forum and instantly had about 20 different cats but here its so bloody difficult. I never realised how stubborn the english were, i now remember why i am not very proud of been english. I am a cat lover and was thinking of joining this community but after coming into contact with how fussy you all are i think i'll cancel my membership.
The product will be successful since i have 2 well establised designers backing me up on the idea and i doubt people who have designed for ford and such movies as batman would want anything to do with something that was a pile of shite.
A big thank you to those that have helped.
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American fourums are very different to this one and so are their attitudes to cats.
This is a generalization of course but we think cats are part of our family but many americans think they are a design accessory.
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Sorry you feel that way Sax, this is a discussion forum so I'm afraid you will get lots of different views on issues especially a contentious issue such as collars.
Anyway, I for one am very interested in this collar. Is there any way of finding out when it has been finalised and produced?
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We are the market all were asking is what your trying to sell us. I think its interesting but just dont see how it would work out, with the cost/design etc.
Hey being stubborn is a good thing sometimes. ;)
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The cost and design of it are all been worked out at the moment. I have another 5 weeks until i will have a finished prototype and then after that it could be up to or over 1 year until it is in the shops.
Hopefully sooner rather than later.
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Ahh so were are shooting the gun before it's loaded. Just we are an inquisative bunch who likes to know who,where, when and why. You would think tis Dragons Den :rofl:
I will do my cats tomorrow to late tonight.
Is there any age to start and stop by as you said an 8 week old kittens would be no good (sorry Delilah)
so where do we start from ie youngest - oldest age.
I wish you luck.
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Willow - 27cm - 15 month old Maine Coone.
What a big boy!!!! :Crazy:
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Maine Coons are and he has over two years still to grow.......wow ;D
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I don't think the English are stubborn - just reluctant to release information to strangers when they don't know the person asking the question. I have only been here less than a year and have learned there is a degree beyond which one does not go until one has established one's bonafides. I also think it is valuable for your research to get a cross-section of views about why people might be resistant to your product. It is essential marketing background info so that you can respond to the bases of resistance when designing your product. You may not get that advice from the designers you are working with but you will certainaly get it from the people aiming to help you market it.
GOod luck with your project but please, don't take the comments here as a personal criticism, view them more as useful insights into the mind of the consumer.
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I am sorry if you have been offended, but please bear in mind you hve posted on here purely for research, you haven't introduced yourself really, and on a subject that is very emotional for a lot of people on here, collars always create a big debate that we never agree on, so it is understandable we are cautious.
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I never realised how stubborn the english were,
We are not stubborn, the fact is many of us are realistic to know the dangers of collars and have to deal with cats that suffer horrendous injurious because pf them.
but after coming into contact with how fussy you all are.
I don’t think you can call it fussy for caring enough about your cat not to put its life in danger.
I personally do feel that you have tried to use us and then had we all said what a wonderful idea, of course you would have stayed on the forum as you would have 900 potential customers.
You know were are really a nice caring group of people (well most of us ;D) and in less than a year raised much money for cat rescue and saved the lives of many, many cats and that is because we are passionate about cats and their wellbeing.
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Hey Saxa, sozzy if you thought people were having a go at you :shy: but like it's been said this is a forum
for Cat Lover's with Differen't background's, Circumstances, and especially VIEW's and you have to take
the good ;D with the bad >:(
Just wondering though, what made you decide to design a safety collar ??
And have you done any research into the Risk's & injuries caused by them ??
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Its a collar that works as a tracking device, not just a safety collar. The concept is good, as I am sure all cat owners who have lost a cat will agree, in fact le chat noir and I discussed the possibility when we were looking for Phoebe. But, as others have mentioned, there are potential pitfalls with the present approach, both in terms of cat safety and market research. I wonder if, instead of starting from the point of 'I am designing a collar' you had taken the approach of 'what would you see as a useful tool for achieving this goal?' you might not have had a more constructive dialogue, saxa ...
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'what would you see as a useful tool for achieving this goal
A Microchip with a tracking device is all I can think of that may be safe, I am sure in this day and age they could be made small enough, in fact I think they do have them for big cats, birds etc. All we would need then is a tracker no bigger than a microchip scanner. Alternatively walk the streets with something like a sky dish. ;D
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I agree Ela, the problem with collars, even if you are willing to use them, is that they often end up draped over a bush or something similar so all you would be tracking is the collar - nice if it saves you having to buy collars all the time, but the priority here is finding the cat, not the collar - sorry saxa but you need to go back to the drawing board if you are seeking a practical solution. If, however, it is simply an assignment for your design course, as you originally suggested was the case, then good luck with the project.
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Yes thats what I thought, it dosnt seem that the pro's and con's have been weighed up. Fair enough make the device and sell it to people but are people really going to buy another if it gets lost? I think there is more chance of the cat returning home without the collar rather than the cat getting lost and I couldnt see owners buying another if the price is so high. People might go routing through bushes to find the cat but not the collar. :shy:
Right cats measurements let me find a tape measure....
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hello :)
i would measure my cat for you - but i cant because i'm away at uni and he is not (not cos he's stupid you understand.... he just didnt find life taking him in that direction.... :sneaky: )
anyway - sorry i cant help with that (my mum will just laugh if i ring and ask her to measure his neck :evillaugh: ) but i wanted to say good luck with everything ;D
and as much as i dont want to get involved here i think maybe a key point to consider is that this is being asked as RESEARCH - it doenst mean anything is set in stone and asking the sizes of cats necks AS RESEARCH seems a bloomin sensible idea to me - i dont know 100 cats i could go measure and i would have no idea how much neck sizes range. this RESEARCH may have discovered that there was only like a 2cm range of sizes between 90% of cats - more than viable to work out.
i also would love to see photos of your cats and your sculptures please!!!
like i said, good luck ;D
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Saxa,
I also think they are a necessary evil. When mine start to go out they will be wearing collars, mainly so that people know instantly they are owned and if they do wander a bit too far someone will hopefully be able to ring me straight away without wondering for a few days whether they might be a stray etc (not that you would think Fergus is a stray with the size of his tummy :evillaugh:).
I think what you're doing is really good, so good luck with it all. I would be interested in one, it would definitely put my mind at rest that when they're out knowing I could find them.
Polly, 6 month ragdoll x, 22cm
Fergus, 6 month ragdoll x, 24 cm
Good luck Saxa and let us know how you get on with it all, well I'd like to know anyway :shy:
Emma
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I also think they are a necessary evil. When mine start to go out they will be wearing collars, mainly so that people know instantly they are owned and if they do wander a bit too far someone will hopefully be able to ring me straight away without wondering for a few days whether they might be a stray etc
In reality quite the opposite very often happens, because although when people see a cat with a collar on they automatically think it has an owner. Many of the cats we take in as strays do have a collar on and often have been noticed in an area perhaps for many months but because they have a collar people assume they have an owner so do not not look at the collar owner details. It is only when the cat seems to be scavenging for food, unwell or in bad state that they pick it up and if no details of an owner are on a collar they may put a message on it. Only then when they do not receive any phone call do they think it is lost. Of course for some of them it is too late.
I find that often people respond much quicker to a strange cat in an area when it has no collar. I get more calls about cats without a collar on that may have been in a location sometimes only a few hours. We either go and scan ourselves or ask the 'finder' to take the cat to the vets for scanning, very often they are reunited with their owner very quickly. If there is no chip and the cat is well we place a paper collar on with a message and if no call within 3 days put the cat on the list waiting to come in and arrange for its care until we can bring it in. Far better that roaming for weeks. months with a collar on and everyone thinking it has an owner.
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I never realised how stubborn the english were, i now remember why i am not very proud of been english.
I'm Welsh .... :rofl:
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and Im Scottish :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
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I think we're in the clear then Stuart ... it's just everyone else on Purrs who's causing trouble ... really, you lot ... :rofl: :rofl:
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That's OK, it would seem that Saxa has packed up his trolley and gone home without us anyway. And come to think of it, I am not exactly English myself :rofl: :rofl: Ta, I want a kangaroo emoticon!!! :rofl: :rofl:
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I think part of research is to find out what people dont want, i never had a problem with people telling me they wouldnt buy what i had designed for my food tech exam :evillaugh:
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My dad was Scottish and my Step dad Welsh, so does that make me doubly in the clear. ;D
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My dad was Scottish and my Step dad Welsh, so does that make me doubly in the clear. ;D
I have Scottish, Welsh, English and Irish ancestors. Not sure what that makes me, apart from a mongrel * :rofl:
*which I am extremely proud to be, by the way :Luv:
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Not sure what that makes me, apart from a mongrel
I must be too as mum was English although I have no Irish in me as far as I know.
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:naughty: Christine... mix all four up and you have a Great Brit :naughty:
I'm not English either. :shify: run...
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Is just English, a Great Brit and a European :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
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I'm a real mongrel - scottish, irish, english, danish, german and Australian. Go figure. If the aborigines have their way and send us back where we came from, I wouldn't know where to go :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
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I have a solution for that :naughty: :naughty: :naughty:
Cut you into pieces and sling to all corners of the globe :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
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It's a good idea and something i used to always want a GPS tracking device so find out where my lads went. I would buy it if i ever moved to a safe area where i could let my lads out. Imagine being able to tell where they have gone at real time. Ie watching them (well a little dot on the gsp map) i would love that :) But yes i agree collars are dispossable and if some how it was made where no collar was needed like as part of a chip then it would sell like wildfire i am sure. ;D
I am glad though peeps are heading in the right direction and trying new things to help us find lost cats ;D