Is This Collar Safe?

[Cataria]

Eight of my ten cats wear collars, and I've always used some sort of safety collar. Usually breakaway collars, but I've bought a stretch collar or two when I saw one that was cute enough.

I bought this collar for my 15 lb male cat that still didn't have a collar, and it looks amazing on him. The problem is that I misread the packaging -- it says "Cat Non-Breakaway Collar," not "Cat Breakway Collar."

Is this thing safe? It is really, really hard to get open, even for a person with opposable thumbs. You have to pinch both sides in and it kind of "catches" so that you can only pull out one corner at a time. As soon as I realized it wasn't a safety collar, I took it off, but am I overreacting? I've put Sentry Calming Collars on my cats before, not even thinking or realizing that they are not breakaway collars. Fortunately, I've never ran into any trouble with them.

If it's not safe, is there a way to make it safe? Is there such thing as an adapter to convert a normal collar to a breakaway collar? I suppose it would be possible to remove the stitching and put a different buckle mechanism on it, but I don't have any that color and my sewing skills aren't that great.

Alternatively, I was wondering if anyone happened to know if grinding down the plastic on it might make it safer. I was thinking about taking off these corners here, which I think might allow the buckle to slide out without catching:

However, if I try, there's no going back -- either I'm going to have what I want or a collar that doesn't work at all.

The simplest thing would be to just... buy a different collar, but this one looks so cute on him. XD

 

[Kat0121]

I wouldn't risk it. I'd return it and get another one. Can you post a picture of him? I would be happy to help you search for one that he would look just as handsome in. That and I just want to see a picture because I love all cats.

 

[Cataria]

It's unfortunately too late to return it (I actually bought it months ago and promptly misplaced it XD), but if it's not safe to use, it's not safe to use.

And I do have pictures! This is Ronan:

This is what the gray/cream collar looks like on him:

I also bought a peach-blue stretch collar, but it has the fatal flaw of an obnoxious loose flap:

I would love collar recommendations! Only thing is, no green. My other orange male, Peridot, has a green collar. For the sake of completeness (and because I love showing off cat pictures) here is Peridot, hahaha:

 

[Kat0121]

They are both so handsome!!

I think blue would be great on Ronan. I think it would help show off those gorgeous eyes!

www.amazon.com/Coastal-Pet-CCP7001BLL-Adjustable-Breakaway/dp/B00BUFV68Y/ref=sr_1_7?s=pet-supplies&rps=1&ie=UTF8&qid=1507427528&sr=1-7&keywords=cat+collar&refinements=p_85%3A2470955011%2Cp_n_feature_five_browse-bin%3A6602214011%2Cp_72%3A2661618011

I really like this one. The royal blue would look good on him and I like the Hawaiian look it has

www.amazon.com/Country-Brook-Hawaiian-Featherweight-Collar/dp/B01MCXPJ0A/ref=sr_1_20?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1507427845&sr=1-20&keywords=cat+collar+blue

He would rock this red tartan look too though

www.amazon.com/dp/B01BGHA0QO/ref=twister_B0199LLQ0I?_encoding=UTF8&th=1

He would be quite the sophisticated gentleman in this one from Petsmart

Whisker City® Plaid Bow Tie Cat Collar | cat Collars | PetSmart

 

[Cataria]

Oh! You know, I was purposely avoiding blue collars because I thought it was a little too on-the-nose for a male cat, but you are totally right, blue and orange is a great combination. I really like the first one you listed! I put it on my Amazon shopping list for my next Amazon order. Thanks for the suggestions!

 

[kikiscatmat]

I am following this because I've been having collar issues with my cat. She has a nice leather collar with a safety catch that she's learned to take off and leave around the house. If she bites and pulls on the safety catch she can get it open. It doesn't seem to bother her in general, but she seems to be taking it off when she is cleaning her fur and it gets in her way.

Am I making the collar too loose on her neck? Or is there another kind of collar, like a stretchy collar, that would still be safe for her to wear and be a little harder for her to take off? I'm sure there can't be any guarantees, and any safe collar would have to have the potential to come off - it's just that this one has gotten TOO easy for her to remove.

I'd like her to wear a collar because I have a tag for her with all my contact info - she is an indoor-only kitty, but young and curious and shows a little too much interest in getting out the door, so I'm afraid she might get out and get lost at some point. I live in a very urban area. She IS microchipped, but I feel better having my name, address and phone number easy to see on her collar - she could easily be picked up by someone a block or two away, and the return would be a lot easier and quicker if nobody had to grapple with her microchip.

 

[ailish]

The Lupine collars are pretty nice, come in a variety of patterns and seem well made. They are also quite sturdy. They are on Amazon as well as other places. I also got some from Made By Cleo. Cleo has many choices or colors and styles and come in breakaway. They are a little less bulky than the Lupines, and I prefer them on my cat because she is small and they just look better on her. The problem with them is that the collar portion, not the hardware, tends to get damaged by scratching a lot sooner than the Lupines.