Beastie Band cat collars? General advise about collars?

I just ordered three of the Beastie band cat collars + slide on tags for all three of my indoor cats. But I have a few concerns about them.

None of my cats have EVER worn collars before (we tried breakaway collars on one of them, before we got the other two, but she always got the collar off literally within seconds of putting it on, even when tightened to the point that I couldn't even get a finger between the collar and her neck). I have a feeling that trying to put these new collars on them won't go over too well. How tight should I put them on? I don't want them to be able to pull them off or try to pull them off and get tangled up in them.

And also, I am afraid that my mother will get angry and take them off. She thinks that making cats wear collars is inhumane and that a cat can get the collar cought on things and choke to death. But there isn't anything that they can really get cought on inside the house (other than their claws).

Also, she thinks that putting collars on indoor cats is pointless.
2 of our 3 cats seem to have absolutely no interest in going outside at all (one of which actually seems very fearful of the outdoors, we could literally leave the back door wide open all day and she'd just sit in the doorway and never dare to go out the door), but 1 of them is getting a bit too curious for my liking (he ran out the front door twice, he only ever got a few feet outside the door before he was cought, but still I don't want him outside) and seeing as none of them are microchipped (which I would also like to have done), I felt the need to get them collars and tags, just in case.


I just hope that my mom will not take them off of them.


Does anyone have experience with Beastie Bands collars? From what I have heard they are very light weight and comfortable for the cats. Are they easily removed by cats like breakaway collars seem to be?

I agree that indoor cats don't really need to wear collars and if it makes them unhappy it's especially not worth it. That said, they really should be breakaway. You can't foresee everything they could get caught on.

Sorry. I have never used Beastie Bands but I think that all cats need to be wearing collars and tags. If you can comfortably fit 2 fingers between the collar and the cat's neck that is a good fit. The reviews I have seen on BB have been quite good. 

It is NOT pointless to put collars and tags on an indoor cat. What if the cat gets out?? Without any ID and with no microchip, if the cat is brought to a shelter or a rescue, how will they know who to contact? They will assume the cats is a stray and put it up for adoption. What if it is NOT a no kill shelter? It could very well be euthanized for lack of space. Many shelters have a 72 hour policy. What if the cats wanders up to someone who sees that he/she is friendly and, not seeing a collar, takes the cat in. You'd never see it again and would always wonder what happened. 

http://healthypets.mercola.com/site...2010/10/07/importance-of-pet-cat-collars.aspx

talkingpeanut said:

I agree that indoor cats don't really need to wear collars and if it makes them unhappy it's especially not worth it. That said, they really should be breakaway. You can't foresee everything they could get caught on.

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Beastie bands are stretchy and slip off if the cat is cought on something. As I've stated in my previous post, one of my cats knows exactly how to remove breakaway collars, and will do so SECONDS after we put it on.

But I live in a rural area where some people are not so kind to cats, especially ones that roam free and have no visible indication of having a home. People will more likely shoot/trap the cat and never bother to check for a microchip. But most people that see a cat with a collar on will know it has a home and return the cat.

There is also no such thing as a no kill shelter in my area. All shelters around here euthanize "strays" after holding them for only 3-4 days. Some shelters don't even bother to check for microchips when a cat comes in that they just assume is a stray.

Do you see why I'd be worried about what would happen if they got out?

Kat0121 said:

Sorry. I have never used Beastie Bands but I think that all cats need to be wearing collars and tags. If you can comfortably fit 2 fingers between the collar and the cat's neck that is a good fit. The reviews I have seen on BB have been quite good. 

It is NOT pointless to put collars and tags on an indoor cat. What if the cat gets out?? Without any ID and with no microchip, if the cat is brought to a shelter or a rescue, how will they know who to contact? They will assume the cats is a stray and put it up for adoption. What if it is NOT a no kill shelter? It could very well be euthanized for lack of space. Many shelters have a 72 hour policy. What if the cats wanders up to someone who sees that he/she is friendly and, not seeing a collar, takes the cat in. You'd never see it again and would always wonder what happened. 

http://healthypets.mercola.com/site...2010/10/07/importance-of-pet-cat-collars.aspx

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I agree, it is not pointless. And as I stated above, there are no "no kill" shelters in my area. "Strays" are euthanized after only 3-4 days (if the shelter is full, which they always are).

And people in my area aren't kind to cats. They get treated like vermin, unless they have visible ID. People here would be more likely to shoot a cat than take it to a shelter or check for a microchip.

Raina21 said:

Beastie bands are stretchy and slip off if the cat is cought on something. As I've stated in my previous post, one of my cats knows exactly how to remove breakaway collars, and will do so SECONDS after we put it on.

But I live in a rural area where some people are not so kind to cats, especially ones that roam free and have no visible indication of having a home. People will more likely shoot/trap the cat and never bother to check for a microchip. But most people that see a cat with a collar on will know it has a home and return the cat.

There is also no such thing as a no kill shelter in my area. All shelters around here euthanize "strays" after holding them for only 3-4 days. Some shelters don't even bother to check for microchips when a cat comes in that they just assume is a stray.

Do you see why I'd be worried about what would happen if they got out?
I agree, it is not pointless. And as I stated above, there are no "no kill" shelters in my area. "Strays" are euthanized after only 3-4 days (if the shelter is full, which they always are).

And people in my area aren't kind to cats. They get treated like vermin, unless they have visible ID. People here would be more likely to shoot a cat than take it to a shelter or check for a microchip.

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Yes. I would definitely put the collars on. Show your mom the link I added and let her know that it's far more humane to put a collar on a cat than it is for the cat to end up in a high kill shelter and probably euthanized because they thought the cat was a stray. Microchips are only effective if someone scans the cat for one. If not, they are useless. Many places don't even bother to check. Good for you for looking after your cats' safety and best interest. 

Mogli was a real whiz at removing collars till he got his Beastie Band. He's been wearing one for about 2 1/2 years and doesn't even try to remove it. I use the "2-finger rule" to fit a Beastie Band, just like any collar.

[product="18636"][/product]

He's an indoor-only cat, is microchipped and wears a collar and tag. If the skin in his ears wasn't black, I'd also get him tattooed. Paranoid? No. I work at a shelter that gets quite a few "indoor-only" strays. People think the chances of their cats getting out and lost are slim, but they aren't. It can easily happen. Microchips are the quickest way of reuniting pets with their owners, provided they're registered, but a lot of people won't bother taking a stray to a vet or shelter to be scanned for one, so a tagged collar is needed as a backup. Collars are easily lost, though, so they can't replace a microchip.

My cat is not very physically inventive and hasn't removed her collar once, even though it'd be pretty easy to get off, so I don't have advice on that front. (I guess that means she's not that bothered by it! And she wasn't used to wearing collars before, either.) But I do think it's important to put collars on your cat. Even with cats that don't seem curious about outside, you never know what is going to spook your cat and cause them to bolt out the door. I've also heard more than one lost cat story about people having company staying at their house who are used to outdoor cats and will put the indoor cat outside without thinking. Lost cats are less likely to find their way home than dogs, and that's partly because people see cats outside and don't assume they're lost. I made sure my cat's tag says "indoor only" because there are a lot of cats in my neighborhood that are outdoor cats and have collars, and I want to increase the chances of someone finding and realizing that she's lost and not assuming she's fine. I got her a cotton and hemp collar I found on Amazon, and it doesn't seem to cause any irritation whatsoever. I just take it off when I brush her everyday so her long fur doesn't get matted.

My kitten is 9 weeks old and I already have a breakaway collar on her (hopefully she will just get used to it now and not have the urge to take it off) with number tags and plan to get her microchipped as soon as she is spayed. And she is never allowed to be outside.
I live in a rural area like you and people around here could care less about animals, especially cats. Game warden is called or better yet they run it off even farther from people.
It's necessary and causes them no more irritation than it does us to wear a necklace, no they aren't going to "love" it at first, but it doesn't hurt them and they'll get used to it.

Keep us updated on the collars though, I am considering getting her one as well.

I use Beastie Bandsand LOVE them! I ordered my first last year after one of our rescue kittens got a *breakaway* collar hung on his mouth, which led to a bloody mouth. [emoji]128577[/emoji] I fit the Beastie Band snug (can get 1 finger in) and he has had zero problems. Once I saw how well the collar did with A, I was sold. Not only do I now use these collars with my personal cats, but all the cats in the rescue will be getting Beastie Bands.

When fitting the collar, make sure you do not stretch the collar when securing the Velcro. Also, make sure you can pull the collar off over their head. You cut the excess material off, but doesn't hurt to leave a little extra for adjustment in the future.

I am one that believes all owned cats should wear a collar and tags, as well as be microchipped.

jcat said:

Mogli was a real whiz at removing collars till he got his Beastie Band. He's been wearing one for about 2 1/2 years and doesn't even try to remove it. I use the "2-finger rule" to fit a Beastie Band, just like any collar.

[product="18636"][/product]

He's an indoor-only cat, is microchipped and wears a collar and tag. If the skin in his ears wasn't black, I'd also get him tattooed. Paranoid? No. I work at a shelter that gets quite a few "indoor-only" strays. People think the chances of their cats getting out and lost are slim, but they aren't. It can easily happen. Microchips are the quickest way of reuniting pets with their owners, provided they're registered, but a lot of people won't bother taking a stray to a vet or shelter to be scanned for one, so a tagged collar is needed as a backup. Collars are easily lost, though, so they can't replace a microchip.

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CatPack said:

I use Beastie Bandsand LOVE them! I ordered my first last year after one of our rescue kittens got a *breakaway* collar hung on his mouth, which led to a bloody mouth. [emoji]128577[/emoji] I fit the Beastie Band snug (can get 1 finger in) and he has had zero problems. Once I saw how well the collar did with A, I was sold. Not only do I now use these collars with my personal cats, but all the cats in the rescue will be getting Beastie Bands.

When fitting the collar, make sure you do not stretch the collar when securing the Velcro. Also, make sure you can pull the collar off over their head. You cut the excess material off, but doesn't hurt to leave a little extra for adjustment in the future.

I am one that believes all owned cats should wear a collar and tags, as well as be microchipped.

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I know collars can get lost, and I fully intend to get my cats microchipped, even if I have to pay for it myself. I think around here, microchipping costs $15 per cat so that'd be $45 plus any extra cost for registering them.


Also, how should I go about putting them on? I really don't want to have to scruff them or hold them down, but I have a feeling I'm going to have to just so they don't squirm away from me and try to hide.

Raina21 said:

Also, how should I go about putting them on? I really don't want to have to scruff them or hold them down, but I have a feeling I'm going to have to just so they don't squirm away from me and try to hide.

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Doing it quickly and smoothly will help! You can practice putting the collar on a roll of paper towels if you want. Also if they're sleepy and drowsy it might be easier, so catch them at nap time and reward them with treats for being good kitties. Whenever I have to do something my cat doesn't like, I pick her up and plop her in my lap so I have more control over her, which may or may not work depending on your cats' temperaments.

The best way may be to guesstimate their neck size and go ahead and Velcro to collar to that. Then, slip the collar over their head...best to do this with the cat either sitting in your lap facing to the front or simply with you behind them.

These collars are so lightweight, so hopefully they will not mind as much. Plus, there isn't a bell annoy them.

Molly92 said:

Doing it quickly and smoothly will help! You can practice putting the collar on a roll of paper towels if you want. Also if they're sleepy and drowsy it might be easier, so catch them at nap time and reward them with treats for being good kitties. Whenever I have to do something my cat doesn't like, I pick her up and plop her in my lap so I have more control over her, which may or may not work depending on your cats' temperaments.

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I could probably distract 2 of them with treats. The other one (the one who is a whiz about getting out of breakaway collars) is skittish and she might be harder to handle.

I have fostered 6 cats now and have two personal cats. All my fosters (except for really tiny kittens) and all of my personal cats wear collars at all times. (except grooming, flea treatment, and baths)



Microchips are great. They are also 100% useless if they aren't scanned. Keeping cats indoors is great too. However, even if we don't let them out, they can still get out and we need to take precautions. Collars are great, but can get lost. 



That's why I prefer a 3 tiered strategy to keeping my cats safe. Collar/tag, microchip, and keep indoors. 




I also live in rural territory. We don't even have ANY kill shelter here in my county that accepts cats. So it's not possible for my cat to be taken to Animal Control and scanned--because Animal Control doesn't take cats.



The Humane Society is chronically full. The few spots in rescues fill up fast. One of the largest animal hospitals in the area has admitted to not always scanning stray cats. Stray cats are likely to get shot at, hit by cars, drowned, trapped and dumped, or taken in as pets by neglectful people who don't bother with vets.



Wearing collars in my area is literally a matter of life and death. We're in the backwoods where someone would consider shooting their female cat rather than getting them spayed. Believe me, the idea of scanning a stray cat for a chip will not occur to many (or even most) people. If my cat bolts out the door and runs into someone else's yard, they're not going to even know that he's neutered, microchipped, and vaccinated and has an owner who loves him. They'll just assume that he's another dumped cat. 




But a collar and tag is easily recognizable as the universal sign of a cat with a loving guardian. Even my 4 year old will tell you that a cat wearing a collar and tag has a home!



As far as my cats and my foster cats, I just put the collar and tag on them. I've had some collars come off, so I adjust the collar, try a different type, or simply put it back on again. I've not had any serious troubles with collaring any of them. 



I did have a foster cat pull up my vents and climb under my house once. The same foster cat slipped out the door once. Luckily, I caught her right away.



Anyway, can you tell that this is a pet topic of mine?   I'm passionate about identification for cats, because lack of identification leads to the deaths of so many, whether by euthanasia in shelters or "euthanasia by proxy." It also leads to shelter overcrowding. As a rescue worker and foster mom, I can see how the load of rescues and shelters would drastically change if cat identification was more widely used.



Oh, and for my fosters, I now use Beastie Bands. One of my personal cats has a Beastie Bands collar as well. The other is still using a SafeCat collar that I had from before I switched to Beastie Bands. Out of all the designs of collars that I've used, Beastie Bands come off the least and are most comfortable and least irritating to the skin and fur. 

My 3 cats wear Beastie Band collars. I would put them on and then make sure you can slip a finger underneath it easily. You may then trim the collar if need be.

 They don't slip off as easily some collars but will break away if cat  gets caught on anything.

 My best friend while growing (and her husband) are the creators and owners of Beastie Bands,She is a talented artist and also commissions paintings. When my kids were little we didn't have cats but,my friend would give the kids tons of her collars and the kids wore them as 'cool' bracelets.. The success of these collars has allowed her to be a stay at home mom while raising her kids.She is a great person.

My vet says they are the best collars on the market;.

I have cat fencing and my cats can't leave the yard but I had them in collars even as indoor cats.It was my feeling that if for any reason they got out and got lost people would be more likely to notice a cat with a collar and think of them as a lost pet and maybe try to catch them and return them to me.

Maureen Brad said:

My 3 cats wear Beastie Band collars. I would put them on and then make sure you can slip a finger underneath it easily. You may then trim the collar if need be.
 They don't slip off as easily some collars but will break away if cat  gets caught on anything.

 My best friend while growing (and her husband) are the creators and owners of Beastie Bands,She is a talented artist and also commissions paintings. When my kids were little we didn't have cats but,my friend would give the kids tons of her collars and the kids wore them as 'cool' bracelets.. The success of these collars has allowed her to be a stay at home mom while raising her kids.She is a great person.


My vet says they are the best collars on the market;.

I have cat fencing and my cats can't leave the yard but I had them in collars even as indoor cats.It was my feeling that if for any reason they got out and got lost people would be more likely to notice a cat with a collar and think of them as a lost pet and maybe try to catch them and return them to me.

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It's so cool that you know the people who created them

They just came in the mail today. The tags haven't come in yet, hopefully they will be here within the next couple days.

I went ahead and put the collars on all three of them. I did have to hold their scruffs in order to do it, but 2 of them don't seem to mind them at all. They just didn't want me to put them on. But as soon as I got them on they were like "Hmm, this isn't so bad."

Not surprisingly, the other one (the one that was a whiz at removing breakaway collars) doesn't like it. Hopefully she gets used to it though. She hasn't gotten it off yet, thankfully.

I'll post pictures of them when I get their tags on them in a few days .

I love the Beastie Band Collars. My cats wear them.

So lightweight and stretchy, I doubt they know they're wearing the collars. I like how they glow in the dark too.

Only down side, they do need to be replaced.. I find I need to replace mine at least once a year.. they get frayed and torn from them scratching and playing with each other (I usually trim off the parts that gets frayed so their tongues don't get caught on them- it has happened to Monet once when I didn't trim the frays)

Draco said:

I love the Beastie Band Collars. My cats wear them.


So lightweight and stretchy, I doubt they know they're wearing the collars. I like how they glow in the dark too.

Only down side, they do need to be replaced.. I find I need to replace mine at least once a year.. they get frayed and torn from them scratching and playing with each other (I usually trim off the parts that gets frayed so their tongues don't get caught on them- it has happened to Monet once when I didn't trim the frays)

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I plan to put a little bit of glue on the edge that I trim off, so it won't continue to fray.

haleyds said:

Keep us updated on the collars though, I am considering getting her one as well.

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Well the tags have obviously not come in yet but 5 hours and counting and
all of them still have their collars on!


This guy's name is Tesla and his Beastie Band says Crazy cat, because he is still a kitten and he's super rowdy, and he does some of the weirdest things ever! I think I'll get him the red one with the same saying/design for when he grows up.


This girl is Named Kiwi and her Beastie Band says Royal Cat, because she is prissy and my sister calls her "The Queen"


And this last girl is Named Zazzie, she's the one who hates collars, but so far this one is still on, so I hope she gets used to it! Her Beastie Band says Pretty Kitty, because she's a pretty girl

your cats look great in their new collars! I'm so excited for my beastie bands to come in the mail next week