new kitten/Beastie Bands question

I trim them off. it is suggested to, as well.

I have to replace my cats bands every so often. with their play and scratching, they do shred up. I don't think anything can be done about it.. at least that I am aware of!

I've used Beastie Bands on my cats for years. I like keeping collars and identification on them despite the fact that they're microchipped. My neighborhood is such that they would likely never find their way to a vet to be scanned for a chip. Therefore, I play it very safe where they're concerned -- we have never had an incident where one of the cats got out (we have multiple safety measures in place to ensure that they cannot get out of the house), but there is always the possibility of an accidental escape. So, collars and tags it is.

While I don't use Beastie Bands exclusively, I have run into the same problem with them that you have. I like to use them on younger cats and kittens and the way they're made makes trimming them a necessity. However, I've come to the conclusion that I can get a lot more wear out of them if I trim them and then use a lighter or match along the edge to heat seal the fabric. I always do it outdoors and have water nearby in the event of an accident, but it has helped in the past to maintain the shape of the collar and keep it from fraying immediately after its first use. My roommate glues the excess to the band so that is an option as well, but I haven't tried that method personally as of yet.

Good luck with whatever you decide to try. The collars are cute, safe, and come in so many different varieties. But, I've also come to like regular safety collars for my cats. In fact, with my new kitty, I started him right off on a safety collar instead of going with Beastie Bands. But, just this post is causing me to consider picking a cute one up for my new little guy. However, he's more sweet than naughty...so, we'll be foregoing the "Devil Cat" design .