Chances are, you haven’t thought much about purchasing a great looking collar for your cat. Many cats won’t put up with collars, preferring to scratch at them until they come off. You might wonder, why does my indoor cat need a collar? There are many reasons to get a collar for your cat, whether she’s primarily indoor, outdoor, or both.
Cat Collars are Not Dangerous
Some cat owners refuse to put collars on their cats, thinking that collars are dangerous. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA) notes that cat collars are an advantage for cat owners, and says that it’s rare that a cat has choked because of getting a collar caught on something.
Cat collars are the opposite of dangerous – they are advantageous to cat owners. If you are truly concerned about the safety of your cat, get a breakaway, quick release collar. These types of collars will break away quickly if your cat does get caught on something. This should give you, the cat owner, peace of mind.
Advantages of Cat Collars
Putting a collar on your cat greatly increases the chances of her being found should she ever get away from you. Microchipping your cat and then putting a collar on her is even better.
It’s a known fact that indoor cats can sneak outside when you’re not expecting it and get lost. Think about the last time someone came to your front door and you stood there talking to him or her while the door was propped open just enough for your cat to escape if she tried. Too many times this has happened, and cats scoot out the door, running too quickly for their owners to catch. Nothing is sadder to a cat owner than a lost cat.
Types of Cat Collars
It is important to find a style of collar that your cat will tolerate well and won’t constantly try to get off her neck.
Cat collars are available in a variety of types and styles. In the study published in JAVMA, it was found that after wearing them for six months, the safest type of cat collar (and the one that stayed on the cat the longest) was the plastic buckle collar. This type was the least likely to get caught in a cat’s mouth or legs. Most cat owners prefer breakaway plastic buckle safety collars. There are also elastic stretch safety collars available. A good cat collar will combine a few different features.
- Plastic buckle collars, which as noted above were found to be the safest collar for cats, are simple and come in a variety of sizes and styles. They sell for prices starting at $7.99 for this FunnyDogClothes Cat Collar Plastic Buckle Collar at Amazon.
- Elastic stretch safety collars are another choice. This Coastal Pet Products ElastaCat Pet Collar is elastic, so it expands to fit your cat’s neck. It is also reflective and has an adjustable buckle. The starting price on Amazon.com for this cat collar is $4.99.
- GPS cat collars are great for cats that spend most of their time outdoors. These collars come equipped with a GPS locator, and are, of course, priced accordingly, costing more than other collars. They are priced at $100 and up, and usually also charge a subscription service to maintain the GPS.
The coolest GPS cat collar I’ve seen isn’t available for purchase yet but is available for pre-order. It’s the Pawtrack GPS Cat Collar, and is designed for cats only. It consists of a tracking module on a durable plastic adjustable collar and comes with two rechargeable batteries. I like the idea of this collar as it works with GPS, cellular, WiFi and beacon technology, meaning you should be able to track your cat just about anywhere, using the smartphone android or iOs app. Due to ship at the end of September 2018, the Pawtrack GPS Cat Collar is available for pre-order in small, medium and large starting at $150 for the collar and $54 for a year’s subscription tracking service. (The website does say that customers who pre-order get 12 months of free tracking service, however).
- Reflective cat collars are also important for cats who are outside, especially at night. Breakaway collars are great if you’re afraid that your cat is the type to get her collar caught on something and choke herself. These collars will break away if this occurs.
The best collar I’ve found that combines both reflective and breakaway properties is the Rogz Reflective Cat Adjustable Collar with Breakaway Clip. It sells on Amazon.com for the quite affordable price of $12.61. Featuring a breakaway buckle, scratchproof webbing and reflection, this collar comes in various sizes and has overwhelming positive reviews from cat owners.
- Customizable cat collars are nice, as you can have them printed with the cat’s name and your phone number on it should your cat get lost.
The Go Tags Personalized Extra Reflective Cat Collar is a great choice as it comes in five color options, is reflective for night safety, and has a safety clasp that releases quickly if your cat becomes caught on anything. You can personalize it with up to 25 characters for your cat’s name and your phone number. This collar sells on Amazon.com for $13.95.
- Cat flea collars are also available of course. Many indoor and outdoor cats wear and tolerate these well. These, however, won’t help get your kitty home to you should she become lost.
Personally, for my indoor cat, I love the Bayer Seresto Flea Collar. It provides eight months of flea and tick protection for your cat, without messy creams or pills that she is reluctant to take. My cat doesn’t try to get it off of herself, either, which is a win in my book! Although she never goes outside, I own a dog who does, so I figure it’s safer to protect my cat from fleas and ticks than to be sorry. (My dog wears a Seresto flea and tick collar as well). Because it is a lightweight, unobtrusive flea collar, it could even be worn with another collar that would help identify your cat if lost. It sells for $54 at most retail sites, but I found one cheaper at DiscountPetMedication.biz for just $37.59.
