new collar

[finalgirl]

hi! i was wondering how loose a cat's collar should be...i just put a new collar on my kitten, since we're moving to a new city...so i need her to get accustomed to it...right now i can fit three fingers in between the collar and the kitten...

thanks!

[Sandie]

Three fingers is usually fine. Even better, no collar at all. Collars even the breakaway kind have lead to many deaths. I would look into the microchips or the tattoos.

[nena10]

I woke up this morning by Jake. He was patting me in the arms. I thought he was playing with me. But when I open my eyes, Jake's mouth was wide open. I thought he was sick or something. Then when I was fully awake, I realized that his collar was over his lower jaw making it impossible for him to close his mouth. I quickly took the collar off. I used to use it because although he is an indoor cat, I needed to know were he was at so that I won't step on him or to see if he is fine. Now, I just check on him alot. No more collars for him.

[illusion]

Originally posted by nena10
I woke up this morning by Jake. He was patting me in the arms. I thought he was playing with me. But when I open my eyes, Jake's mouth was wide open. I thought he was sick or something. Then when I was fully awake, I realized that his collar was over his lower jaw making it impossible for him to close his mouth. I quickly took the collar off. I used to use it because although he is an indoor cat, I needed to know were he was at so that I won't step on him or to see if he is fine. Now, I just check on him alot. No more collars for him.

Ooh that is scary! I never had a problem with collars on my cat. Is Jake a kitten or full-grown? Satey used to wear flea collars, now he has a nice collar with a name tag, in case he ever escapes the house (he's not allowed outside at all). I heard Microchipping isn't an effective way of ID-ing a cat since different places use guns from different manufacturers, and since there is no standard, and unles a shelter has 6 or 7 different ID-ing guns, there is a chance your animal may not be identified. Also, if your cat gets out and someone in the neighborhood finds him, they don't have any way of ID-ing your cat with a gun.

[mofong]

I have collars and chips. In case of an emergency (house on fire, burglary) and the cats get out, they have two ways of I.D. When you chip them, there is a tag that you can put on their collar to let people know that they have I.D.
I use a collar with a bell, or else I can't tell where they are or what they are doing. If the collar is two-finger spaced, it is okay. I check once in a while in case of growth (weight usually) to make sure it is the right size. My kitten got hers stuck in her mouth, and I knew that she was to small to have one. I waited until she was big enough, but still was nervous about what would happen if she got out.

[Lucy Cat]

I worry that my babies will get outside so I use a breakaway Tag collar. Why do you feel the breakaway collars are dangerous?

Every year millions of companion animals are lost worldwide. They die on our highways and are put down in our shelters because they can't be returned to an owner without some form of identification.
You can save your companion animals by having the forethought to properly and safely use tags.

[Sandie]

I think its more of an issue that ANY collar has a potential danger. I know of a cat who almost died wearing a breakaway collar. I understand they are sometimes necessary, but I would advise anyone to know the risk and use caution. Personally I would tattoo my cat before I would put a collar on one.

[logan0103]

:pinky: My Isis is 7 months old. A months ago I got her a elestic collar with a bell on it. So she would get use to a collar & so I would know where she is. But at night I take it off. I asked my vet about a collar & she said a one finger gap is good. When I had Isis spayed she just would not leave her stitches alone. She licked them so much that she stared to rip them out. So she had to wear this clear plastic "THING" around her neck that looked like a upside down funnel. Talk about cruel!! After having to wear that for 4 days a collar is nothing. I did take it off her when she was with me.

Today I bought her a harness. She did pretty well when I first put it on her but I didn't leave it on long. Now I've read a few books on how to train a cat & they all say that to train them to a harness first makes it easier for other things.

I've never done this before, reading is ok but first hand experience is better. Has anyone every done this & if so what & how did you do it, and how did it turn out?