collar got stuck in my cat's mouth

diana2018

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i feel so bad i put a collar on my cat for the first time it was good at first, I made sure its tight but not so tight so he doesn't get chocked. In the first days he tried to get it off but couldn't. later he stopped trying and everything was fine i thought he got used to it. Until one day i was in my bedroom and suddenly i heard a really loud scary sound it was a really unusual disturbing sound so i ran to see what was happening and it was my cat he was going CRAZY he was all around the floor! the collar had got stuck in his mouth and he was in so much pain. he was rolling all around the floor trying so hard to remove it. when i got closer to him his mouth was already BLEEDING from the sides i guess it ripped his mouth and i couldn't get a hold of him cause he was going so so so CRAZY and wouldn't give me a chance to touch him he was scratching me all over it was so PAINFUL he gave me deep wounds but he was going so wild and in the end i was so scared that he would die or something. so i grabbed him anyway and i cut off his collar with scissors, he was free and ran off right away. but later on he didn't eat at all. i think he couldn't chew because of the pain in the sides of his mouth. few days later my mom called me and asked where did his collar go and why he isn't wearing it. i told her what happened but she told me to put it on him again. and i thought maybe i should make it more tight this time to be sure that he won't be able to get it up to his mouth. so i got another type of collar and i put it on him tighter and made sure its not chocking him. and later on it happened again....... god im so dumb.
well now i got rid of all the collars in the house and i'm never putting a collar on him again or any other cat. but i'm still wondering how some people manage to put it on their cat without this happening to them? like what am i doing wrong? i know they say that if a cat is stressed about it you shouldn't put it on them but my cats were only stressed in the beginning and then they wouldn't show any sign of being stressed about it.
 

Willowy

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Was the first one a safety snap or was it a fixed clip like a dog collar?

Cats should ONLY wear safety snap collars. And a safety snap collar should have snapped when he got it stuck in his mouth, although I've heard that sometimes they don't snap easily enough, especially when new.

Don't use a buckle collar (the belt kind)!
 

LBMom25

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I have the same issue with my Savannah cat (F2, 19 lbs). I've tried every kind of collar, try putting them very tight, still happens. I gave in and bought him a mesh harness to wear and attach his tag and GPS collar to that. It is not very good as it still restricts his movement and he can wiggle out of it in a struggle, but it is better than nothing, and it is lime/flourescent green so for as long as he has it on, if he escapes outside he'd at least be easy to spot. He looks like a little Brittish police officer.
 

ladytimedramon

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I use Beastie Bands with my girls. They are soft neoprene collars with velcro closures. Delilah is fine with it. Fancy just starts to walk in a weird crouch (though it also may be the bell - I've come close to stepping on her when I don't see her).
 

GranolaLouise

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I have a breakaway collar for my house cat with a bell and tag (in addition to her chip) just in case she races out the door.
But I hesitate because I saw a cat at the shelter who had a clean bald spot all around her neck because of a collar!
 
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