Author Topic: Cat collar (Read 8136 times)

Bionic · « **on:** May 10, 2018, 11:03:04 am »

Its been a year since I lost my cat so I thought it was about time I got another one. I am going to a rehoming day on Sunday at the Cats Protection League.

Q. Does your cat wear a collar?

The reason I asking is that my previous cat used to wear a collar until she got her whole arm trapped through it. She didn't come home for several days, which wasn't like her, but finally managed to get home in a terrible state and by the time she got to me the collar had 'grown' into her armpit. It was very distressing for her and me and also cost £500 to get her right again but she was always cautious about going out after that.

I dont want to go through that again so its either no collar or a quick release collar of which I have no experience. Do they really work?

bj_cardiff · « **Reply #1 on:** May 10, 2018, 11:19:31 am »

I have 4 cats at the moment and have had lots, they are 'farm cats' but some do become friendly and make it into the house! My cats are all from local cat rescues and were neutered and chipped at the same time. If a cat was injured and taken to the vets the scan would show my details. I don't see the need for putting a collar on.

Womble · « **Reply #2 on:** May 10, 2018, 11:32:46 am »

I'm with BJ. If the cat is chipped, then what value does the collar add?

Just beware, we tried to adopt through CPL, but found them very difficult to deal with. They kept trying to steer us towards unsuitable cats which had been in their shelter for ages. For example, there was the diabetic cat that needed daily insulin injections. When I said politely that I didn't have time for that, they basically said I wasn't taking this seriously, and if that was my attitude, did I have time for a cat at all!?

Oh, and then there was the "problem" of us living next to a main road (yeah, like ten cars an hour - Seriously!?), and the fact that I admitted that we don't keep our current cat in at night..... so in the end we just said we'd leave it.

However, a few weeks later, a stray cat adopted us. We haven't complained, and nor has he!

Penninehillbilly · « **Reply #3 on:** May 10, 2018, 11:40:28 am »

We only used a collar once, with a bell on during bird breeding season, she managed to get her front leg through as well (HOW???). Luckily she was near home, we cut it off.

Fleecewife · « **Reply #4 on:** May 10, 2018, 02:06:18 pm »

I would imagine she was trying to pull the collar off with her paw.
I feel that a cat bell is not good for their hearing.
A chip seems the best idea

Good luck with your new cat Bionic. We had a bionic cat once - she fell off the back of a stationary bike when she was 6 months old, breaking her leg in a spiral, so it had to be plated. One day an archaeologist will dig up her bones and be intrigued!

Bionic · « **Reply #5 on:** May 10, 2018, 02:16:58 pm »

Thankyou everyone. I wont get a collar.

Womble, my cat will be kept in all night long

Fleecewife, I am Bionic because I had plates too, although they have since been taken out.

Foobar · « **Reply #6 on:** May 10, 2018, 02:45:42 pm »

Our cat started off wearing a collar - one with a bit of elastic in I think. We kept finding it hanging in the shrubbery, so we gave up!

in the hills · « **Reply #7 on:** May 10, 2018, 03:05:23 pm »

I'm never quite sure if collars are a good thing or not.

We've tried the quick release and yes they work really well and release about 10 minutes after we put them on the cat.

After not using them for a while our three are now wearing the collars with elastic.

The two young cats are chipped but wondered if they were safer wearing collars because hopefully the local farmers and gamekeepers will know that they are pets and they'll be safer.

Also the collars are reflective and so cats are easier to see on the lane.

But now you've got me wondering again, Bionic?

??

Anke · « **Reply #8 on:** May 10, 2018, 06:30:49 pm »

Our adopted cat Quentin did wear a collar at the beginning, but then it got lost. We haven't replaced it.... although he is not microchipped. I don't think cat collars are that necessary, and as you have found out either get lost or cause expensive damage...

Btw - our cat came via a friend who at that time worked at a vets, and they often get stray cats brought in that they then try and find homes for... maybe worth a call to your local vets. The selection process wasn't all that stringent either!

in the hills · « **Reply #9 on:** May 10, 2018, 07:47:48 pm »

And it's kitten season!

There are lots of barn kittens desperate for good homes.

We took in a tiny kitten last November. She was spitting feathers when we collected her but being very young was tame by the end of the weekend.

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #10 on:** May 10, 2018, 10:18:15 pm »

I prefer no collar, but if I have a black cat and live on a road with traffic, then the cat wears a silver reflective collar. I buy the ones with a proper buckle - with a prong, so it does up properly and can't slip - and an elastic bit. I've had issues with the type that have a pseudo-buckle with no prong - the collar can slip through the buckle and end up bigger and catch on something. So long as the collar has the elastic section the cat will be able to get out of the collar if the collar catches on something, so the prongless buckle is unnecessay, in my view.

Bionic · « **Reply #11 on:** May 11, 2018, 05:52:37 pm »

Quote from: SallyintNorth on May 10, 2018, 10:18:15 pm

I prefer no collar, but if I have a black cat and live on a road with traffic, then the cat wears a silver reflective collar. I buy the ones with a proper buckle - with a prong, so it does up properly and can't slip - and an elastic bit. I've had issues with the type that have a pseudo-buckle with no prong - the collar can slip through the buckle and end up bigger and catch on something. So long as the collar has the elastic section the cat will be able to get out of the collar if the collar catches on something, so the prongless buckle is unnecessay, in my view.

My cat was wearing a buckle collar with an elastic section when she got her arm stuck through it. In fact I think that the elastic section actually made things worse. If the collar hadn't been as flexible I don't think she could have got her whole arm through in the first place.

doganjo · « **Reply #12 on:** May 13, 2018, 06:18:06 pm »

My Rio has had 10 collars. He came home with a branch attached once, undergrowth on other occasions and the majority of times without a collar at all. He hasn't had one now for about 6 years.

Bionic · « **Reply #13 on:** May 14, 2018, 07:13:06 pm »

Well, I had my home visit today and they said I had an A star home and that I could pick Cuthbert up whenever I like.

Womble there were no silly questions.

Thought you would like to see a pick of him, short name Bertie

pgkevet · « **Reply #14 on:** May 16, 2018, 09:30:08 am »

Most cats learn quickly how to stalk without ringing a bell. Collars do have a point ...to show it's not a stray cat and may be chipped. Easy break-away collars will get lost - that's rather the point of them <s>. I used to make mine out of 'spare' collars (owners didn't want it back after i'd bumped fluffy - it's called recycling) .. simply cut the collar and re-attach with a couple of weak cotton threads.

When my OH first wanted a cat I used to do a weekly session at the local RSPCA clinic. Someone brought in an unwanted grey kitty. I told the staff that I'd take that myself. They started giving me a load of nonsense about needing home checks etc first until I pointed out that if there was ever any contoversy over a homing I was the guy that had to make the final decisions anyway!!

I've always been a fan of grey cats - a blue burmese being the best cat i ever owned (and he was secondhand, rescued by me). He was brought in by some lovely folk who had come to end of tether over his terrible lymphocytic/plasmacytic gingivitis they'd been battling at a rival practice for 2 expensive years and couldn't take any more but allowed me to try one of my radical therapies and keep him if it worked (which it did).

Bertie looks fab.