Kitty Collars

[shawna]

Help! I went out and bought a kitty collar for Sophie because she wants to venture outside on the balcony and even that far I want to make sure she has a name tag on. Anyway, I bought the nicest most expensive one I get, brown and red leopard spots to blend in with her beautiful calico markings and made from the soft fake suede stuff. Anyway, I FEEL AWFUL now that I've put in on her

I feel like I've "chained her in" somehow. Please tell me am I a bad mommy???

 

[lorie d.]

Shawna
It's always better to be safe and have a collar and name tags on Sophie just in case she accidently gets away from you. I don't understand why you would feel awful about this. Is wearing a collar a brand new experience for her?

 

[shawna]

thanks Lorie; yes, she's not used to it at all; I had a collar on her for about a week when I first got her from the SPCA, just because I wasn't sure if she had fleas or not, then took at off as soon as she got her first checkup and all clear from the vet. This he first experience with collar and tag. It's silly, I know, but I just want her to be as comfortable as possible and not avoid me for being a big bad meanie and cramping her style with a collar

I'm a real sap when it comes to my kitty aren't I?

 

[lorie d.]

Sophie must be acting like the collar is really weighing her down right now. She'll get used to it!!!
We have a couple of bells on Snowball's collar. At first, he used to keep using his hind foot to scratch at the collar just so he could make the bells ring. It was cute!

 

[kittyfoot]

Both Tic and Tac wear collars and rope leashes when they go kitty-walking and I live in the country.

They quickly got used to them and think nothing of it. When they first go out in the morning they are fastened to the front door and pop back in when they are "done".
They're even particular about having their own "coats" for walkies and will fuss if they get the wrong one.

 

[sunlion]

Blackie, who goes out, has a flea collar and another collar with a tag on it. It has his name on one side and our phone number on the other. In California he had a rabies tag too; his shot is due for updating, but I don't think he needs to wear the tag in Texas. He doesn't seem to mind it much, but sometimes he "loses" it in the bushes since it's a breakaway kind. Sparky doesn't go out so I don't have a collar on him, but if he starts getting out, he'll get one.

You are not a bad mommy for putting your name on your baby if she is going to go out.

 

[buttercup429]

I just wanted to add that you should make sure it's the break away kind because they can get hung up on things outside with the other collars. A friend of mine's cat got outside once and she couldn't find him for a week and she thought he had run away until she heard a pitiful yowling coming from some brush down from her house. The cat had caught his collar on a wire fence and was stuck. She's so lucky she heard him or he may have starved to death there! So the moral of this story is get a break away collar or make sure the one they have is loose enough to slip over their head if they got it caught on something.

 

[bodlover]

Good point Buttercup, mine have elasticated collars, so if it does get stuck on anything it will stretch enough to let the cat get free..... mine also have bells on their collars to give birds/mice a fighting chance!! ha ha ha .. oh and they are all glow in the dark ones..... (cos my babies go outside). When I first put them on - they didn't really appreciate it! They used to try an pull at it and rub it against things etc etc... oh and attck the bell - I think it bugged them!! ha ha ha ha.... they're all fine with them now though...

Oh and KF, that is too funny!! I can just see them sulking in their little coats...."this isn't mine.... it doesn't do anthing for my complexion... Im not going out in this!" :laughing2 :laughing:

 

[dawnt91]

Sunlion - At least in Arlington, I think the rule is that animals have to wear both their license and rabies tag. Cats are not allowed to be out without a leash, and the pound will pick them up if they see them. I've seen them do it a number of times. What's really sad is that they don't always call the owner even if there's a tag on the cat. One day my kids and I were visiting the Alrington pound, and there was a cat there for adoption with a name tag on. I called the number on the tag, and the family didn't even know their cat was there! You have to be really careful in this town, because Animal Control is really strict and they patrol a lot! Just thought I'd let you know. (Of course, the plus side of this is that there are not alot of unleashed dogs running around the neighborhood.)

 

[spooky]

Thats horrible that they pick up the animals and don't call their owners! I would be furious if I found out that they put my pet up for adoption without me even knowing it!

I have elastic collars for my kittens, but they never wear them since they are indoor cats and they have no chance of getting outside. (We live in a condo and they would have to get past 2 doors if they ever ran out of the front door).

Is it ok that they don't wear their collars? We put them on only when we take them to the vet. Also...we don't have name tags on them since they won't get outside...should we get them just incase for later on?

 

[bubbles]

and we get calls daily (4 or 5 a day, 7 days a week)) from people who have had cats escape their homes. I always ask if they had a collar or tags, and without fail the people say "She doesn't need them, she's only an indoor cat". My response? "Not anymore!"
It sounds insensitive, but it is true. You have NO WAY of knowing your cat won't get out. What if you are hurt, and someone comes in to help you and leaves the door open? What if there is a fire? What if there is a disaster (Sept. 11 anyone??)? Our shelter returns fewer than 3% of stray cats to owners, and from what I've read, that is pretty much the national average.
Like they say, "if you fail to plan, you plan to fail."
And if you really really object to cats in collars, at least have them microchipped!

 

[melissa]

I know that some people I've talked to are worried that their cats collar will get snagged on a tree branch or something so they've opted not to put one on their kitty at all. I bought a collar for Onyx that is a 'pull away' collar, it has a section that is held together with two stretchy elastic bands, that way if he got caught on something his struggle would snap the elastics and he'd be free. I think its a very smart idea to have a collar on your cat, I'd be heartbroken if one of mine escaped and wasn't able to be returned to me because of no ID. A sad thought

 

[kittyfoot]

on those breakaway collars with elastic. The ones I found here use quite a cheap brand of elastic which becomes brittle in a relatively short time. it might be a good idea to check every so often.

 

[shawna]

Sophie and her collar are getting much better aquainted, although I did remove the little bell that came attached with it because it was driving us BOTH crazy

I'll just have to hope that these city birds around here are smart enough to see her coming and move out of her way.

take care one and all and thank you for assuring me that I've done the right thing!:kitty5:

 

[nena10]

I have to have Rascal's collar on with the bell because I live in the basement and at night it gets very dark. If I don't see him, I may either trip on him or step on him. I want to get both an ID tag on him and a microchip implant. What happens if I move? Can they change the address?

 

[sunlion]

Dawn, thanks for the tip! Honestly though I don't actually let Blackie out, he's just very good at running between my feet when I open the door so he gets out pretty often, maybe 4 times a week for a couple of hours.

Bubbles, if animal control isn't calling people when the pet has tags, what is the guarantee they will even check for the microchip? I know it isn't true all over, but I bet it's more common than we'd like to think. Wouldn't they need a special reader for the chip too? I don't know exactly how those work.

 

[dawnt91]

Sunlion - I know what you mean! Sometimes they just want to get out! It's very frustrating for me because I like to have my windows open in the fall and spring. My crazy cats have learned to push against the screens to pop them out, and then out they go. I spend more time grabbing those cats off the porch and putting them back in the house! I'm going to have to do something about the screens, I'm just not sure what. Having the house always closed up isn't an option either. At least they don't do this on the second story.

 

[alexnell]

If you do put a collar on your cat, check often to make sure it fits correctly. Cats can gain or lose weight, and if your cat is under a year old its still growing. Also check for matting and irritation. And make sure the tags are readable--if they aren't the engraved kind--just printed--the tags rubbing against eachother can rub off the information.

 

[dtolle]

Both my cats where collars, even though they are both indoor only. They wear their rabies tags and a bell. Here in MA, if a cat is lost they can be tracked by their rabies tag....each tag has the rabies number, and also the vet name and address so if they are found, the person can call the vet and find out the owners name and address.

Both of mine are pull away collars, and neither cat seems to mind them much anymore.

 

[Anne]

Great thread and it belongs here in the care and grooming forum. If you run a search, I'm sure you can find even more info in similar threads in this forum.