Poll: Do your cats wear collars?

[txcatmom]

I thought of this thread when I read a terrible story yesterday about our local animal shelter putting down someone's cat immediately because they were injured and had no collar or microchip.  They did it in the field, didn't even take it to the shelter.  (And it is debatable how bad the injury was.)  The owner had told the shelter about her missing cat, but the officer didn't check, I guess.

I know I already said this, but keep trying if your cat takes off the breakaway collar too easily.  We found we had to order from the internet.  The ones at petsmart were no good.  It took 4-5 tries for two of our cats, but they now have collars they can't take off, but will break away for safety.  Beastie band is the most escape proof.  Tuff-lock also worked well for one of my escape artists.

 

[ashley marie]

My cat wears a beasty band, thecatconnection.com is where I ordered his.

 

[hesster]

Both of my cats are microchipped and wear collars. They don't go outside, so the collars are mainly so I can hear where they are, and so the other cat has some warning when the other one is about to pounce from behind.

One time I had a big fishing net leaning against the counter and Willow walked by it and her collar got snagged on the netting. It flipped over andtrapped her under the net. She was tearing around the apartment under the net, with the handle dragging behind her. I had to rescue her, then she hid under the bed for hours.

 

[meuzettesmom]

I just bought a eight week old kitten, he has to wear a glow in the dark collar or I will be stepping on him and kicking him. Something I don't want to do. The bell helps too. This collar is nice, for you can set how loose you want the brake away to be. it can be stronger when he is older. He isn't going outside, but the ones who do need to have a visible collar on. So people know it is someones' loved one.

Jill.

 

[nebula]

Our cats not only wear a collar, they love them- it is like their Jewelry. If I take one of their collars off for any reason at all, they get mad and pout. LOL

I order tags from Pet tags 4 Less - and they are $2.39 for front & back printing with a picture of your choice if you want- and they hold up a long time.

Right now, Smokie has a Teal collar with rhinestone paw prints and a black tag, bandit has a pastel rainbow collar and red tag. I just ordered new tags with our new name & address on it- And both of their collars are wearing out, so I will be getting some new ones for them soon.

I might also add, our lease requires all pets to wear collars & have the rabies tag visible.

 

[mani]

I remember the time my brother's terrier walked in with a cat collar in his mouth.  He was SO proud.. it was like a trophy, so he obviously fought very hard for it.  He kept it for years.. even slept with it.

Trouble is it wasn't a breakaway.. they didn't even exist then... and I just think how horrific it must have been for the poor cat.  I think it's essential to have a breakaway collar if anything.  My cats don't have them as they just don't like them, and it doesn't seem fair as one never goes out and the other only comes out with me.

 

[meuzettesmom]

I wouldn't use a collar for walking a cat. A harness is better. But you have to have something to identify that cat as owned by someone. I say it is easier for the average Joe to find you if you have your phone on it too. To call you if need be. Then too, the humane society will know not to catch that one.

 

[mewlittle]

Right now half of my cats are warring a collar all of them was warring one but they broke or was shreeded so badly -_- I'm going to replace all there collars and get them tags with my # and address on it and wen there shots get due I'm making the vet place hand me there vacs tags also

 

[mewlittle]

The problem with a microchip is it's not visible. If someone sees a cat running around here they generally assume it is a feral cat and they will ignore it. The hope is that if they see a cat wearing a collar they are more likely to try to find the owner and not assume it's a feral/stray. Especially if the tag indicates the cat shouldn't be outside... Mine have microchips too, but they also wear collars.

Unfortunately the microchips may also migrate so it's possible they could be scanned and no chip found...

Hay you gave me a idea when I get my pets tags with my # and address and my name and pet name on it i can also put on it INDOOR CAT ONLY and i'm thinking about doing the micro chip if i do that i can get another tag saying I'M MICROCHIP SCAN ME <lol for all the pets

 

[mewlittle]

I just bought a eight week old kitten, he has to wear a glow in the dark collar or I will be stepping on him and kicking him. Something I don't want to do. The bell helps too. This collar is nice, for you can set how loose you want the brake away to be. it can be stronger when he is older. He isn't going outside, but the ones who do need to have a visible collar on. So people know it is someones' loved one.

Jill.

were did you get the glow in the dark collar? i need some my dark cats i cant see in the middle of the night or wen my power goes out wen it storms badly i end up stepping on there feet or tail there lucky I HATE warring shoes otherwise there would gotten hurt badly and do they last a long time?

 

[meuzettesmom]

Oops, I just found this. Hope you are still out there...

I bought mine glowing collars from amazon.com

I forget the brand.

It has fishes on it, That is my favorite.

 

[momof6]

Two of my three cats wear breakaway collars. Lucky my senior kitty will have nothing to do with a collar. He doesn't struggle to get it off, he just lays down and refuses to move. When I first tried the collar on him he didn't move for over six hours! I think he feels like he is caught on something and is waiting for me to free him...

Nathaniel is an indoor cat who get supervised outside time because he is 100% blind. He loves to go outside and will wait by the front door for someone to open it so he can rush past them into the yard. He is also an escape artist, if a window is opened anywhere in the house he will start making his way over to it and try to find a way throught the screen.  He wears an ID tag on his collar that has my name, address, cell phone, work phone, and e-mail on it. At a previous address I had someone break into my house and the front door was left open. I found Nathaniel almost a quarter mile from my house in a rock crevice, lost and yowling for help. I hadn't had him microchipped yet and one of my only thoughts at the time was that if someone had found him they wouldn't KNOW that he was a loved pet, they might just think someone had dropped him off.

Vera wears a safety release collar as well even though she seems to have no interest in going outside. It has an ID tag on it with all my contact information. My three dogs wear collars at all times with their rabies tag and an ID tag on them. I volunteered at a pound and at times almost half the dogs in there were strays, some with collars but no tags. In the year and half I volunteered there only once did a dog with no tags get returned to the owner.

 

[whammytap]

My indoor cat Rufus wears a handsome black leather collar with flat diamond-shaped studs, an ID tag, and a collar charm shaped like a fish skeleton.  When we lived in a house, he also wore a city license, but the city we now live in doesn't require or even offer licenses for cats.  The cats we had when I was growing up were indoor/outdoor and they always wore collars and city licenses, as well as IDs with the home phone on them.  During my teen "goth" phase I had the cats in spike collars.

 

[spiderplant]

Two of my cats wear collars with bells/tags because they were former indoor-outdoor cats(all my guys are indoor-only aside from walks on harnesses) and we always want to know where they are when opening doors and whatnot.  My black kitty has a glow-in-the-dark collar now which really helps at night

 

[otto]

I wish people would take the bells off, if you are putting collars on. Cats have really sensitive hearing. Imagine having to listen to a jingling in your ears all the time. It won't deter them from hunting, because they learn quickly how to move, when hunting, without making the bell jingle. Cats are very stealthy when hunting. But every time they run and play, jingle jingle in the ears. Awful.

 

[meuzettesmom]

My Speedy loves the sound of a bell tinkling on him. He will hop especially hard to make the bell ring. Along with his sheriffs badge of a tag.

 

[twylasage]

My indoor cats always wear belled collars because I find it's very helpful to be able to hear where they are. They don't seem to have a problem with them. But I have to admit I do -- getting their id tags (they've briefly escaped outside a few times) on is nothing short of pure frustration. I Hate Split Rings!! ARRRRHGHHH! I've just spent the better part of 30 minutes struggling to get a tag on z new collar for Timothy and it's STILL not all the way on yet!!!

 

[otto]

Cats can't tell you if they 'have a problem' with a bell constantly jingling in their ears. They have no choice but to accept it. I wish people would take the bells off.

 

[meuzettesmom]

My Speedy tells me... oh yes he does.

I take the collar off, he tries to put it back on.

I put it back on him, he goes off happily. Bouncing all the way.

Of course, not all cats are the same.

Only four out of my nine like collars, bells and tags.

I leave it up to them

 

[missymotus]

Cats can't tell you if they 'have a problem' with a bell constantly jingling in their ears. They have no choice but to accept it. I wish people would take the bells off.

Agree, the bells are awful. I've never understood the excuse of needing to hear where they are either.