10 week old with a collar...?

my kitten is 10 weeks old and she's just started going outside in the last week or so. i'm not too keen on her bringing me gifts of half eaten birds and lizards so i wanted to know if it is ok to get her a collar now or if she is too young still? i'm not sure how fast they grow and i don't want to get her something she'll outgrow in a month.

i want to get one with a bell on it too...what are your thoughts? yay or nay?

Thanks!

First of all is she spayed? If not, I would not allow her to roam outside unsupervised because she can get pregnant as young as 4 months old!

Good luck in trying to find a collar that small for a 10 week old kitten. I couldn't find one for Ling (she wore one cause she's black and had a habit of trying to get out the door - once that was resolved she doesn't wear collars).

I would just supervise time outside and wait till she's bigger and spayed before allowing her out with a collar.

We had one on Jack at 10 weeks old--mainly to find him in the apartment (had a bell). We bought an adjustable at Petsmart and it should fit as he grows.

He no longer wears it though because it matted is long fur (it is only worn when we have company as they aren't as cautious about him getting out the door)

Leslie

Yeah, I think it's a better idea to just keep her indoors till she's spayed. A four month old kitten pregnant is not fun for you or the kitten; she'd be too small to give birth properly, etc.

You can get a little harness for her and take her out on a leash, though. That's much safer, and you can keep the tomcats away.

Even if she is spayed, I would still keep her in for a few months - she wont have had a full course of vacc's yet, and they dont have a lot of sense at that age, so I would wait until she is around 6-8 months.

Thanks guys. she's not been spayed yet and i had no idea they could get pregnant that young! i'll be sure to keep the doors closed now

Collar with a bell doesn't mean you won't get 'gifts' One of my sisters boys was a master hunter and was bringing pigeons home when he was 3 bells on his collar

Cats are smart, they can work out how to move without the bell making noise.

Also for identification purposes, I would get her microchipped before letting her out.

please don't let that baby go out! I have lost 3 to the woods, all were
what I call "young and dumb" so to speak, if she doesn't have her mom, or another older cat she can learn things from outside.. don't risk it! and if you live anywhere near a street, well she might get runover!
but like everyone else said, first and foremost, get her spayed and vaccinated! I do know this, I wouldn't let her go out unsupervised period!
I know that is my heartache talking!! They left 3 huge holes in my heart!
just thought I'd share that with ya!
Monique

Originally Posted by carwashcats

please don't let that baby go out! I have lost 3 to the woods, all were
what I call "young and dumb" so to speak, if she doesn't have her mom, or another older cat she can learn things from outside.. don't risk it! and if you live anywhere near a street, well she might get runover!

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Exactly. Young kittens are very naive and much too bold for their own good. They're also easy prey for any tom cat or even larger birds.
You may be able to find a small collar but you'll have to adjust and maybe even restitch part of it. Better to wait a few more weeks and let her neck get a little larger. Also, at that age I wouldn't allow a baby outside with a collar - they might not know how to or be strong enough to get out of even a safety collar like an older cat could.

oh no don't worry we never leave her unattended when she's outside she doesnt go much farther than the front porch and never leaves the fenced in backyard. the lady we got her from also had another black 10 week old male who was adpoted the next day and the family went out to dinner and left a high window open and it's been a week and they still haven't found him i follow her like a hawk whenever she's out.

but from what you've all said i will definitely keep her inside until she is spayed and a few months older.

thank you all so much, your help is very much appreciated

Even if she is supervised and in a fenced in area, if she comes into heat and is outside, she will do everything she can to get out, and a male will do everything he can to get into her.

And then you have to also deal with a bunch of tom cats spraying around the house to attract your little girl

I have always been keen on collars and tags (someone almost stole my dog as a child right in front of me). When the kits are young I buy kitten collars. They are compeletly made out of elastic so they come right off if caught on anything. They come in pink and blue and have bells on them.

ten weeks is too young to go out at all... wait till she has a rabies shot and her full kitten series ..... some illness can lay dormant in soil for years ...