when to get a collar for cat

Hi
When is it best to put collar on cat and at what age i have a 4 month old kitten and was wondering when at what age for collar. Thanks :-)

I start our kittens out with collars as soon as possible. 4 months is perfectly fine. Know that it will likely take some getting use to and that bells can sometimes make the kittens go a bit crazy at first. Most adapt just fine given a few days. You can always remove the bell.

Also, make sure the collar is snug; but not too tight. You want to fit 1-2 fingers in between the kitten's neck and the collar; but, it needs to be snug enough that the kitten can't get the collar hung in his mouth.

Thanks catpack thats great. Thanks for the advice

There are differing opinions about whether or not to put collars on cats at all.  Does your cat go out?  Is he microchipped?  Why do you want him to wear a collar?  If you do use one, be sure to get a very safe one that he can get out of if he should get caught on anything.  Just the other day I saw a young kitten wearing what is supposed to be a "breakaway collar" and he got it hooked on the open door of a cat carrier he was exploring.  The part of the door that normally goes through a hole in the carrier when it was closed actually slipped under his collar and he was hung up on the carrier.  He probably could have gotten away by panicking and dragging the carrier around until it tipped over, and the collar might have broken away, but we will never know because of course we saw it happen and quickly grabbed him and lifted him off, but I did ask them why they had a collar on a kitten so young (about 4 months).  They said it's because he does go outside, not alone but with the kids in the yard (they are not close to a real street but away from the road on a dirt driveway) and that's to show that he is an "owned" kitten.  They do plan on getting him microchipped soon.  Not my kitten, not my choice, but at least they did get to see that the collar could be a problem.  So I have not given you an answer as to what age to put a collar on your kitten, but I've left you with some things to think about.  If you are going to give him a collar, one of the safest ones I know is called a Beastie Band.  You can Google that name to find places to buy them and to see all the gorgeous designs.  They are basically made of foam with painted designs on one side and they hitch with Velcro so you can adjust the fit as he grows.  They can stretch if they get caught on anything and the cat can slip out.

Thanks Red Top Rescue. I plan to have my kitten as a house cat and he will be getting microchipped once he is neutered when he reaches 6 month old. I suppose i thought a collar would be a good idea if he got out of house and people who found him would see my address on his collar.

@Jenna1985 I have the same mindset as you. All of my cats are indoor only, are microchipped and wear collars with identification info. I would say that most people that live around me either do not know about microchipping or simply won't take the time to take a stray to the vet to have then scanned. BUT, if they see the cat has a collar, then they know that cat belongs to someone and they are much more likely to look at the ID and call the owner. It also makes the cat more identifiable if lost.

Yes catpack my thoughts exactly. I would have more chance of getting him back as i know if i seen a cat and thought it was lost i would check for collar and address. Thanks for your thoughts

i think 4 months is OK. im very proactive when it comes to the safety of my cats. petsmart sells these "breakaway" collars that are wonderful. if kitty happens to get hung up on something in your house the collar snaps open. they do have bells on it but my cats love them and you always hear what they are up to and as others said you can always remove the bell if they dont like it

Thanks guys for your advice...greatly apreciated

I have collars on my kittens (16 weeks and 7 weeks) for two reasons.

1) They have bells on them.  That way, if they get stuck somewhere and I cannot find them, I can listen for the bell and find them easier (cats like to hide in odd places).  This is for my peace of mind and their safety.  I've panicked looking nefore and the bells were a lifesaver.

2) In case they accidentally escape my apartment.  They are indoor ONLY cats but I live in a large apartment complex and the oldest kitten is very curious and active and I fear she might try to escape at some point.  Also, I want people to know they are owned, not strays, and the collars have my information on them (small engraved tags) in case one of my kittens gets lost.  That way they do not end up re-adopted or in a kill shelter (hopefully a good samaritan would find them before any harm came to them!).

Both kitties have breakaway collars with plenty of neck space (three fingers fit easily through them) and I've NEVER seen them get caught by the neck on any item, and I've watched them play for hundreds of hours already (had my older kitty for two and a half months already, and she's quite active).  The cats get used to them, it's not a huge deal.

Good on you for protecting your cat with a collar and tag. I'd say every outdoor cat should have them unless you live on a ranch with 10 acres and no neighbors. There are a lot of sick and demented people out there who hate cats. Yes hard to believe I know. But when they see a stray cat on their property they put out poisoned food for them. If they see a collar maybe you have half a chance of your cat being spared.