Collar or no collar? What's your opinion?

[kimlovescats]

Having 12 cats, I think alot on what is best for my kitties. Currently most of my kitties are wearing collars .... and I check them regularly to be sure they are not too tight or too loose. My main reason for putting them on them, is for the ever so slight chance that they got outside ... they would have their rabies tags on them. However, a dear friend of mine recently said that she worries about the collars getting tangles on something and choking them. I know that if they are too loose, that is likely to happen.... and obviously if they are too tight they can cut off the airflow.

Just curious about everyone's opinions on this topic??:confused:

[NoahsMommy]

Kim,
Basil wears a collar, quite honestly for the benefit of us hoomans. :) He looks cute and actually likes wearing it. (He brought it to me last night! :D ) If you are worried about your kitties getting hurt, get them the "SAFE CAT" collars, they are made to open up if a cat is struggling. They sell them at PetSmart and other stores.

Noah and Noel wont tolerate a collar, so they dont wear one. All the cats are strictly indoors.

So, 12 cats! How great! Is it hard to remember all those names when you have to call them?

[BastetsMum]

Bastet does her na-na if I even try to put a collar on her. She got one of those microchips inserted underneath the skin (and no it doesn't hurt the kitty) so if she ever gets outside and lost they can scan her and bring her home to me.

[Uabassoon]

There another thred here about collars. I stopped putting collars on my cat after one of mine died. I had one of those safety collars, but her jaw got stuck it in. SO after that I've decided collars on an indoor cat just aren't worth it.

[kimlovescats]

THANK YOU uabassoon .... that's all I needed to hear! I watch my cats like hawks .... it would be a 1 in a million chance they would get outside and get lost! Not worth an even 1 in a million chance of one of my babies getting choked on a collar either!!!!

They are coming off!!!!

[Uabassoon]

Here the link to the indoor cats with collar thread
collars (http://www.petoftheday.com/talk/showthread.php?s=&threadid=16774&highlight=cats+and+collars)

[kimlovescats]

Ok... I read it... and thanks again! So sorry I had to learn this at your baby's expense! :(

[2kitties]

My boys hate collars. Anytime I've tried to enforce the collar law, they find a way to team up and remove them. Or just make so much noise I take them off. I do believe they can be dangerous, unless you have the kind spoken of in this thread.
A good option for "just in case" is the microchip. They're painless and inexpensive. Talk to you vet.

[Logan]

My two always wear a collar, with an id tag. But, that is because they go outside sometime. They are not microchipped (probably should have that done), so I just feel better that someone will have my phone number if they are found. So far, so good. Mimi is 13 years old and she really doesn't stray far from home at all. And Butter seems to be much better at staying close to home these days too. But he loses his collars frequently, so I am constantly replacing them!!!

[ramanth]

We'd put collars on the 5 cats at our parents house and they'd go outside and when they came home, the collars would be gone. Or sometimes we found them in the house. They hate wearing them so we don't bother anymore.

Our first cat, Sable, had a collar. He came home one day walking with THREE legs! :eek: We rushed out thinking he had lost his leg in a fight or an accident... nope.... his leg was stuck thru his collar. Sable was extremely annoyed but fine otherwise.

Zam wears a collar. She doesn't mind it.

[I_love_cats]

I have three cats and only two of them wear collars. Toby, he's my tabby doesn't like wearing collars, the first one I brought him, he lost it and then I brought him another one and he keeps taking it off soo I give up on the collar. I have collars on my cats because I think they look cute and it will keep the mice away. The only time a cat can take it off it's collar if it is too loose but you don't want it too tight or the cat would suffocate. There are some cats that don't want to wear any collars and they will never get use to it.

[shais_mom]

I used to wear collar on Kylie all time, then I noticed she would get sores under it, so it would go off for awhile.
Then I would put another one on. Then last year before Christmas, I had one on her very very loosley and I was looking at her one night, and took off the collar and she kinda 'meowed!' It was growing into her neck. It was all infected and bloody. I haven't put one on her since. And the vet said with her sensitive skin/rodent ulcer it is probably for the best that she NOT wear one. So she doesn't. Occasionally I have put a flea collar on her, and after a couple weeks she starts to scratch it and her hair gets all clumpy and matted. So I opt NOT to have her wear one.

[neko1]

NO collars for my kitties. Neko got the ring that attaches the rabies tag to the actual collar stuck behind his canine teeth when he tried to get the collar off. We had to take him to the vet on a sunday as an emergency visit for them to saw it off!!! It was a bloody horrible experience and I will never put collars on them again. They are strictly indoors and dont need it.

[Blustang24]

I keep a collar on Orion at all times. I check the size quite often to make sure it's not too tight or too loose. To make sure it doesn't get caught on things and coke him, I got one that has the stretch elastic connecting the collar at midpoint. it blends in and looks like a regular collar, but gives him a little extra room if it gets tugged on. :)

[JillLovesMinnie14yrs]

ATTENTION KIM

Well, I feel you should leave the collars on for emergency purposes. If there was ever a fire, burglary, or an escape you didn't see. It is imporant to identify your cats even if they are indoor cats because you NEVER know when one may sneak out. All 7 of my cats are collared and ID ed for rescue purposes if god forbid anything should happen to them or my house. :(