Cat acting strange after getting collar

Hi,

I just adopted a 2.5y/o cat and I need some advice. I just bought a collar for him and he has been acting strange ever since I put it on him. He doesn't come out of his cat-condo anymore and he acts paranoid about every single thing. Whenever he does come out to eat he just runs like crazy and doesn't walk around anymore. The collar seems to be loose enough and does not have any bells.

Should I just give him time to adjust to the collar (apparently he's never had one before) or should I take it off? I've only had the cat for about 2 weeks, by the way, so he's still kind of getting used to the home and he's only had the collar on for 3 days.

Please help!

Is the cat going to go outdoors? If not, he doesn't need a collar... and if he's reacting that badly to it, I'd take it off.

You might also check to make sure that it's not scratchy or that there isn't something sharp or pointy stuck on the inside (like a burr). Or it could be too tight -- you should be able to fit one finger comfortably between the collar and the cat's neck.

disasterous results with collars. My Rainbow Angel Divot got his lower jaw stuck in his collar and had to be caught and have it cut off. No one else has ever liked them. So, needless to say, we don't use them here.

I'd take it off. He's in a new place and has to adjust, why add another difficulty to his life.

Good luck with him. He sounds like he has opinions.

First, I hope you're using a safety collar. They easily come off if they cat gets stuck on anything, if it fits correctly he shouldn't get his jaw under it.

I would put it on, then distract him with a toy. Perhaps you'll have to try working up from having it on for several minutes until he wears it comfortably.

Even if he's indoor only, I still feel it's good for them to wear a collar/id tag. If he ever gets out the more ID you've got the better, not everyone knows to check for a microchip.
I've seen too many cats come into the shelter because they are not wearing a collar.

Just my two cents, but if the collar is causing him that much distress then I wouldn't think twice about taking it off of him.
I've had cats all my life...indoor only...and none of them have ever worn a collar.
We did try a collar on one of our cats, for about 15 minutes it upset her so badly that we took it off and threw it away.

Are there dangling things on it, like the tags? I've had cats that were not bothered by collars and others that could not stand them. Try taking the collar off, see how he acts. Also, let him adjust to his new life a bit then reintroduce the collar?

Originally Posted by JuJubee

Try taking the collar off, see how he acts. Also, let him adjust to his new life a bit then reintroduce the collar?

Click to expand...

That's what I would do also.