need advice on collars

[aTailOf2Kitties]

I don't usually keep collars on my boys because they aren't allowed outside and they generally get the collars off themselves after wrestling around a bit (they are break-away). That being said I haven't had a collar on either of them in quite some time. I came across one of Havoc's old collars yesterday and put it on to see if it still fit and adjusted it accordingly. 2 fingers fit under it. I figured he'd get it off shortly anyway so I left it on him and went out with my parents. I returned a few hours later to find him sitting in the window with it caught in his mouth like a ball gag and him trying frantically to get it off. The breakaway buckle was just not in a spot where he would get a straight pull on it to undo it. I rushed into the house and unbuckled it and his mouth was a little red but not swollen or cut or anything. He seemed relieved afterward and nonetheless worse for wear, but now I worry about having their collars on when I'm not around. When I first got them I kept their collars on in case they wanted to dart out of their new home, but now that they are settled in they are generally "naked".

So do those of you with indoor-only cats keep collars on them? My guys aren't microchipped yet, but I plan to eventually. I don't know if folks around here would bother taking a cat they found to the vet to even look for a chip.

[Taz_Zoee]

I never had a cat with a collar. Until I got Paizly. Cathy had a collar on her when I picked her up so I just went with it. It was a huge help when she was teeny tiny and could fit under the couch and in small places. It had a bell on it so we could hear her. It was also a good warning for Taz so she couldn't sneak up on him.
I took her collar off once because the tags had fallen off and I hadn't fixed it. Well, of course, while she had the collar off she got outside (this was just the day after I put Taz to sleep, there's a thread out there somewhere). I was beside myself! So once I got her back in the house I used two rings to enforce the tags stay on and she's had it on ever since. Just a couple weeks ago I found her collar in the hall. It must have broke loose when her and Jax were "playing".

When I got Jax I had a collar on him and it wouldn't go small enough to fit his neck without him getting it in his mouth like your guy did. So I waited until he was bigger and it hasn't been a problem since.

Jax is micro-chipped, but Paizly is not. But now it's just normal for my cats to wear collars. Jax is such a dare devil I like having the collar AND him chipped since he would just wander off if he got outside. Unlike Paizly who hid until I found her (about 10 hours, over night).

I think if you tighten up Havoc's collar a little you shouldn't have a problem. Another suggestion would be to only put it on him while you are home to supervise for several days. He was probably not used to having it on and was messing with it when it got caught in his mouth.

[katladyd]

I do not keep collars on my cats. They are indoor only and they always seem to find a way to get them off. The break aways don't always work and that scares me.

[Freedom]

I don't keep collars on mine either; and Phred would often mind me that they NEED ID on them. What if the house caught fire while I was out? What if a tree limb crashed through a window (I could see 7 of my 10 marching up the branch and out, while the other 3 are in hiding from the invader.)

So if you keep it on, tighten it so that can't happen again.

[catmandu]

I used to use Ova Collars as they were great for keeping the fleas off.
I stopped using them as My Cats would take them off and lose them,
And I doubt if I could even put them on the Kitten Trio.

[lvpets2002]

Some of my Cats have collars & would not have it any other way.. And some of my Cats hate & wont wear a collar.. All of my cats are indoors.. Now my outside dogs have collars.. They are not allowed to be without one..

[catnapper]

No collars here at all. Only the two youngest are microchipped.

I used to make Allen wear one until I got Pouncer. He was the Houdini of the cat world. He'd get out of ANY collar (even a harness! ) so I admitted defeat and never put one on him. Then came Abby and Harry. Abs was such a priss that she freaked whenever I tried. Since I was only able to get two out of four to wear collars, I decided to let them all go nekkid. It felt so strange to me.... allowing my pets to go around without a collar. I felt like I was a bad mom not giving my cats any ID. I worried they'd get out and I'd lose them forever. The fear was for naught becuase they never got out. and even if they did, I feel confident we'd notice their absence immediately and find them right away.

[krazyaboutkatz]

All of mine are microchipped and they also wear the break away collars. I have collars and ID tags for Alani & Blaze but I just haven't gotten around to putting them on them. When they were smaller, I was told to wait until they grew a bit because the rescue lady said that sometimes kittens have hung themselves because the collars didn't break open because they didn't weigh enough. My RB Sunny wore a collar briefly but he became so stressed out about it that he made himself sick so I had to take it off of him. Good luck.

[chocolatepuppy]

My Missy has always worn a break away collar and never had a problem. The breakaway did work one day, I believe she got it caught on Jakes crate snooping in his water. RB Sassy wore one for years and then when she was about 7 or 8 started taking them off. She would have one leg stuck in it! I tried tightening it, loosening it, finally decided it wasn't safe for her and didn't put one on her.

[Laura's Babies]

When Giz and Amy were small I loved pretty collars on them and planned to keep them with collars..(break away, of coarse) Until Giz was found hanging, her collar caught on some blinds and she was actually hanging by that collar.. She would have died if no one had been home, the break away did not break away... I removed all collars that day and never put another one on any I have had since.

[Freckles]

I copied this from a 11/02 post:

"Freckles, strictly an indoor cat, doesn't wear a collar, but is chipped.

About 1970, my cat Jerry, was licking and cleaning his chest. Suddenly a lower canine tooth caught in the buckle of his leather collar. Fortunately, he was sitting right in front of me when it happened. I had to cut the collar off. None of my cats ever wore a similar collar again."

I know this is very scary.

[GILL]

We had the same problem as Freckles, many years ago. So no collars for the last 24 years. Only 2 of ours are chipped but we are extremely carful that no one gets out. We had one escape about 20 years ago, that lasted 1 night Missy, she never went near the door again.