Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK
Cat General => General Cat Chat => Topic started by: Inky on March 01, 2008, 15:53:08 PM
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I'd love your opinions on collars please.
I have safety collars for the pair of them, but they hated them so much I took them off. They are house cats and don't go outdoors, but my only worry is if they escape and go wondering they aren't tagged.
They are microchipped, but this isn't obvious so if someone finds them wandering I'm relying on that person being smart enough to take them to a vets for scanning. Now with the chips came little collar tags that say 'SCAN ME' on one side and 'Identichip with Biotherm' on the other.
I'm feeling more comfortable knowing that if they do get out and something happens the tags will at least tell anyone to have them scanned. Also I suppose they are less likely to be stolen if the thief knows they are chipped too.
Of course I know even the safest safety collar is not 100% safe...
But they hate them so and I haven't had the heart to make them wear a collar for longer than an afternoon.
Is it worth it?
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Having experienced a cat terribly badly injured when a so called safety collar didn't break when his leg got through it (we were away, the cat feeder didn't realise it was only one cat she was seeing >:( but he was saved by our neighbours ;D) I would say as they are microchipped and indoor cats don't bother with collars. If you do want a collar I think some are better than others, some on here may be able to advise you.
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I kept my Katie collarless for months after getting her, but had to get a magnetic catflap when we had problems with an intruder. I tried many different "safety" collars but found them difficult to take on and off.
Then I find KittyCollars and they are wonderful. They come off easially and you can get personalised ones. I've found that they really are the best out there. They didn't irritate Katie and have lasted ages - I would very much recommed.
www.kittycollars.co.uk
Jen
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Whilst Cats Protection does not support the tying of fixed devices round a cat's neck, it nevertheless recognizes that some cat owners do put collars on their pets. On a number of occasions we have been called out to a cat who has had a collar round its leg and quite obviously they had been like it for many weeks, on a couple of occasions gangrene had set in and others have taken many months before healing and on one occasion one part never knitted together and the cat was left with a hole. Also two cats were found hung with their collars on their owners fence In order to minimize risk of injury, the we suggest the following: Choose a 'quick release' collar in preference to other types. However, bear in mind that 'quick release' collars do not always live up to their name. I appreciate some people say that safety collars snap easily and sometimes people keep pulling them apart and they open each time, however there is a big difference between us pulling it and a cats paw when the cat may have already lost strength by being trapped by it. Not too long ago I had an e-mail from someone in our area asking me not to use collars (obviously she did not know me) as she had found her cat dead with its so called safety collar stuck on a branch under a bush. Also within the last 2 weeks someone phoned me to say she had to get a dead cat from under a bush that had been caught by its collar. Check a cat's collar regularly for fit. you should be able to get two fingers underneath the collar. If the collar is too loose, the cat is in increased danger of getting ensnared on a branch or other object – or even through grooming itself. If the collar is too tight, the cat may try to get it off and also risks strangulation. Additionally, tight collars can rub away fur from around the neck, causing collar burns and a bald ring. Cats can grow and put on weight. Collars fitted on kittens can quickly become too tight as the animal grows. Weight gain on an adult cat can also cause a collar to get too tight. Cats can also damage themselves on collar bells and discs.
I appreciate that some people have a collar on the cat as it holds the magnet so only the family pet can get into the cat flap, however, if the cat shreds the collar it also will not be able to get into the cat flap.
If a bell is worn for wildlife protection purposes, the tinkle needs to be quite loud to be effective. Trapped claws can be avoided by using a bell, which is tapered with a large groove. A cat can develop an allergic reaction to collar material. Should a cat start to scratch or show any signs of skin irritation after a new collar is fitted, it should be removed immediately. Veterinary treatment may be required. Remove collar when the at is indoors to allow the fur to grow and skin to air. Flea collars can vary in their effectiveness depending on the active ingredients used, and as the ingredients are not prescription products many of them are as much use as a chocolate teapot. There are now a variety of flea treatments available including spot on liquids, injections and liquids which can be added to food. Additional flea control treatments should not be given when a flea collar is worn as this can result in illness.
Owners should also reconsider their reasons for fitting their cat with a collar to see if it is really necessary. For example, a trendy collar is a pointless fashion accessory that serves a cat no purpose.
If a cat owner wants to provide their pet with identification, they are better off going for a microchip as this is the only safe and permanent method of identifying a cat. Fears about the cat's visibility particularly around traffic, can be partially allayed by keeping felines in during hours of darkness.
If, however, the plan is to protect wildlife, then keeping the cat in at night and in the early morning can help reduce cat predation.
I have to say that over the years all types of collars including so called safety collars have been on many of the cats our branch of Cats Protection has dealt with.
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Mine are all allowed 24/7 access but I'm afraid no collars altho I fully understand the pros and cons. One of mine got her front leg caught in her collar right up past her shoulder many many years ago. Thankfully it was 3am and she jumped on my chest to wake me so no harm done. I even realise that collar prob wasn't like the safest one today but couldn't put up with the worry of it possibly happening again.
BTW Ela, Tom has now (finally age 18) been chipped in case you missed it :) as he has stated to go outside again after his stroke last summer
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Im anti collar. Teresa has pictures of a cat she rescued with a collar injury :(
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Having said that I'm really happy with my collar for Katie, that's also because she's not a very active cat and doesn't go out that much. I recommend that if owners have kittens or very young, active cats, they shouldn't collar, but chip.
On the other hand I run the lost and found line for the branch and the amount of people who find lost cats, but never check for a chip is unbelievable. I genuinely believe that many people (especially if they're not animal people), believe that if an animal isn't wearing a collar, then they are un-owned :'(
On the other, other hand, we do see some horrendous injuries from ill fitting collars!
It's a toughy! I would probably think that you should keep them un-collared if possible.
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I’m in the same boat, my two are indoor only (although I’ll be catproofing the back garden for them very soon :wow:) and although they are microchipped I worry that if they were to get out they would be very vulnerable due to not having any ‘outdoor sense’. I bought them both breakaway collars and tags but Lucas won’t keep his on for more than 30 seconds, he is not bothered by it but seems to delight in popping it off within seconds of putting it on him. His brother Riley is wearing one at the moment but I now feel guilty that he should have to wear one and not his brother!
In short I think a collar is a necessary evil but would only ever use the breakaway types.
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I recommend that if owners have kittens or very young, active cats, they shouldn't collar, but chip.
Everybody should chip regardless of collar use :Flowers: :Flowers: :Flowers: afterall collars are not much use if a lost cat loses it :doh:
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Oh yes! Sorry if that wasn't clear - it should be law to chip!!!!!!!!!
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I have also seen saftey collars with no saftey clasp on them, they say the elastic streches so the cat can escape if caught, although the elastic is only 3-4cm long when streched.
I did start putting a safety clasp collar on my cat as I thought he was going else where, he lost 2 in a week which made me think, oh no has he been caught somewhere, but no I soon learned he could take them off himself with a few scratches, so they are not that good after all.
None of my other cats have collars because they are garden cats, maybe you could cat proof your garden?
I would love to know how to keep something attached to a cat that is safe and can also tell the finder that the cat is chipped if they become lost.
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Mine are all collar free! ;D
I do agree that chipping should be compulsary but I also think that scanning for them should also be a legal requirement! ;)
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Got to say Inky, I'd never let mine outside without their collars on. Cats wander rom time to time, and not everyone is clued up enough or (sorry) HONEST enough to get the cat scanned for a microchip.
Case in point - last year a friend of a friend found a cat wandering around a building site. She watched it for a couple of days but it was obviously lost, so she took it in to feed it but didn't know what to do so contacted me. FIRST POINT - she didn;t know what to do. If it'd had a collar with a tag, one phone call to the owner would have sorted the problem. At this point, I took the cat to the vet to get him checked over and scanned - no microchip. SECOND POINT - at this point, some less thoughtful or considerate people would have kept Alan (as we called him) - he was a beautiful and lovely cat and, hey, it was tempting!. Again, with a collar we'd have known he belonged to someone and wasn't feral.
However, we took him home to care for him and put some posters up around the building site where he was found and in local vets and shops. It took FOUR DAYS for the owner to contact us, and I believe that was somewhat fortunate. She was worried out of her mind and he'd been missing a week. Needless to say she was very grateful and we told her she MUST get him chipped straight away. THIRD POINT - peace of mind. Alan's owner was worried sick for a week. If he'd have had a collar & tag it would have been sorted within a day or two. Having experienced this, for my own peace of mind, mine will always wear a collar when outdoors.
[OUCH!! - Sorry, Lilly's sat by me and just nipped my fingers! haha! She says she agrees with me. :) ]
I take the points made about cats occassionally getting caught in their collars. But this is a very rare occurence. Yes, it could happen to mine or to yours if they wear a collar. But it's unlikely. Mine didn't like their collars at first either, but we persevered. We put them on indoors and kept an eye on them. They struggled at first, but it didn't last long before they got used to them. Equally, they do slip their collars occassionally - we've lost a couple over the course of the last year. But you can get a very good safety collar for about £6 - it's not a big deal.
Check these out: http://www.thepetextraordinarium.co.uk/index.asp?c_id=2&s_id=11 (http://www.thepetextraordinarium.co.uk/index.asp?c_id=2&s_id=11). Ignore the flashy ones on the first page and look at all of the ones with the safety clip. They're the best we've found, and I can tell you, we've searched and searched!! I trust these on my own cats, we sell LOADS of them and so people in general trust them too. You can get a tag to match here: http://www.thepetextraordinarium.co.uk/index.asp?c_id=2&s_id=36 (http://www.thepetextraordinarium.co.uk/index.asp?c_id=2&s_id=36) and we even engrave these free of charge.
At the end of the day, it's your decision whether to keep a collar on your cat. But given my experience, I personally think there's no decision to be made as the benefits FAR outweigh the risks.
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I take the points made about cats occassionally getting caught in their collars. But this is a very rare occurence.
Yes
Sadly it is not as rare as you think or would like us to think. I am regularly receiving calls about cats with collar injuries, some fatal and those that are not many of the cats have taken months to recover.
I don't wish to be rude but just because people do not hear about them does not mean it is rare. I would also say that you believe what you write as you may have a vested interest in selling cat collars. Sorry but us in rescue really do know the implications of cats and collars.
I am also sorry if my reply seems a little harsh but when you have to deal with the reality of collar injuries it leaves me very anti-collar. Dealing with such things of a cat with gangrene, having a limb amputated or a cat spending months in a pen recovering, is not a nice experience, especially as these things could have been so preventable had the cat not had a collar on.
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That's not "harsh", Ela, it's unfair.
My comments and 'beliefs' about cat collars are based on personal experience, not commercial gain, and I resent the implication that they are. My company would not sell ANYTHING we believed would harm an animal. And more to the point, I certainly wouldn't put collars on my own cats if i thought that was the case.
I sympathise with you having to deal with collar injuries and it must be difficult to work in a rescue at times. Ask the majority of vets, however, and they recommend that cats should wear a quick release collar for the exact reasons i outlined. When I said incidences of collar injury are rare, I'm not saying they don't exist. What I am saying is that the benefits of cat collars outweigh the minimal risk of an injury occuring.
You obviously have a strong opinion and I respect that. But there is another train of thought and I merely voiced and believe that. There is no moral highground. It's up to the individual to do what they believe is best for their cat and I nor they should be judged for acting on that.
Sorry... :(
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hi inky
i have the same dilema, my 2 are indoor only, but both ex-stray/lost unclaimed. one has no interest whatsoever in being outside, but he likes to watch from the window. the other seems to be more interested in going out so im planning to catproof the garden. in the mean time the compromise i have settled on for the moment is that they are mainly uncollared (both are chipped though) they both have snap release kitty collars printed with "mircochipped" and my mobile no. but they only wear these at 'high risk' times. so when they go to the vets or when i have friends/family over that cant be relied upon to be 100% aware of closed doors and cats! the cat that is showing an interest in being outside had a bald ring when i took her in from her previous collar so im not keen for her to be wearing one. my thinking is that these are the times when if they get out they are more likely to be scared or get lost so a visible identification would be more useful.
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This reminded me to find Kylie's collar - I just put it on her during the day when there are fledglings around - She isn't very co-operative though - I have scars from trying to brush her :tired:
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they both have snap release kitty collars printed with "mircochipped" and my mobile no. but they only wear these at 'high risk' times. so when they go to the vets or when i have friends/family over that cant be relied upon to be 100% aware of closed doors and cats!
That's exactly what I've decided to do after this thread made me think about the collar issues, my front door 'defence' (a folding screen) arrived yesterday so I have taken Riley's collar off him today. I'll just put them on when they go to the vets or I have visitors.
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At the end of the day, I'd prefer one of my cats to be adopted by someone who thought it was a stray than die trapped by its collar somewhere.
As they are chipped, if a vet/rescue were to get involved down the line then I'd get to know about it.
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As many of you know, my company sells breakaway (quick-release) cat collars. We've been selling them since October 2004 and have never had a report of an injury or death. However, we have heard of many happy endings, with kitties being returned quickly to their owners when lost or injured.
We started out selling both breakaway and elasticated collars, but quickly stopped selling elasticated collars on the advice of rescues. I'm so glad we did because I have since seen the sort of injuries they can cause.
Whether or not you put a collar on your cat is a personal decision between you and your cat. I think microchipping is most important because it's permanent, but I think collar ID is very useful too. I have had so many calls from people wanting order a collar for a "stray" that they've decided to take in. They think that because it doesn't have a collar it must be a stray and haven't checked for a chip or contacted anyone. I spend the rest of the phone call trying to convince them to take the cat to a vet to get it scanned as well as post information on lost and found sites.
Many indoor cats wear our personalised collars in case of escape, break-in or fire.
Marla
Kitty Collars
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While I can see the many advantages of having a collar, I choose not to put one on Jameson. He spends too much time climbing things and running around in shrublands and jumping over fences. He is microchipped. I would be way too worried about him getting caught in something. A lot of people (not all, but more and more people these days) know about pets being microchipped, and I would think a stray or injured cat would go straight to the vets/shelter in which case this is the first thing they would check.
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Actually, you would be surprised at the amount of people who contact us about a stray and haven't thought of having it checked. We ask they do that before we will take them in, in case they have an owner, but the people who ring us are the ones who can't keep them, there are probably just as many who are able to keep them and never get a rescue involved. I know my vets will scan every new cat, but I dont know if all vets do that.
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That is true - but at least they contact you and you will then tell them to have the cat scanned. And even if some people keep the stray, at some point these cats will need a vets visit and I would like to believe they get scanned there. Any good vet should scan new cats.
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There is no moral highground. It's up to the individual to do what they believe is best for their cat and I nor they should be judged for acting on that.
With that I would absolutly agree, but did not think it fair comment to say collar injuries are a very rare occurence.
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Any good vet should scan new cats.
I think nowadays more and more vets are nowadays scanning cats that are being taken in for the first time. Also more and more rescues are no chipping. Although I appreciate not everyone gets their cats/kittens from rescues, I know many people consider chipping as they ring me for advice.
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The debate rumbles on.
I respect the views of both sides.
I have one of Marla's collars on Paddy, and am very pleased with it. He's had a collar on all his life, even though he's chipped, and thankfully we've had no incidents through collar wearing, although Paddy's an elderly gent now and was never really one for lurking in bushes even when he was younger.
There are good strong arguments against collars, but if your cat goes out and you feel a collar is a means to end, then it has to be considered.
Like Marla, I've known well meaning people take in cats believing them to be strays purely because they were collarless. Not everyone's as clued up as we'd like them to be.
Judge it on your knowledge of your own cat's habits and what you feel is best for your cat.
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Any good vet should scan new cats.
I think nowadays more and more vets are nowadays scanning cats that are being taken in for the first time. Also more and more rescues are no chipping. Although I appreciate not everyone gets their cats/kittens from rescues, I know many people consider chipping as they ring me for advice.
Our vet scanned Billy the first 2 times we brought him in. He had been chipped by the rescue. I think the fact that he is jet black (no unusual makings) and that I couldn't pick Billy up either time, still can't almost 2 years later, made vet suspicious
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I mentioned it at the beginning, but just another second for Marla's collars - they break away really easily, and i've been really pleased with them, I wouldn't buy elsewhere now
PS: I'm not paid to say this btw!!!
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Indeed I have one of Marla's collars. Lexy won't wear it since she hates anything around her neck so I've made the decision not to have her wear it until we move or she starts to develop an interest in the outdoors. I appreciate our circumstances are different with Lexy being an indoor cat.
However, I would rate safety collars for anyone who does choose to collar their cat.
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My comments and 'beliefs' about cat collars are based on personal experience, not commercial gain.
So are mine, although I perhaps will gain when I don’t have to deal with another little one with horrendous injuries, or perhaps not suffer the trauma of untangling a dead ot seriously injured cat from under a bush.
or get lost so a visible identification would be more useful.
The other side to this is I regularly receive calls about a cat that perhaps has been hanging around for a long time and is now in a bad state that often needs to see a vet. When I ask why did you not call me sooner I am told 'well it has a collar on so I thought it had an owner'.
I have to say that if someone insisted on a collar no matter what, although I know that even the so called safety collars cannot be 100% effective all the time (indeed some of them are as bad as the ‘normal’ collars) then quite possibly rather than let them get any collar I would tell them about the Kitty Collars.
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Thanks for the lively debate..! I am currently erring towards no collar because a) they hate them b) they are indoor only c) because they are indoor only they will have no outdoor sense and more likely to get themselves stuck.
There have been some really good points made on both sides of the argument, it's difficult to decide but I think whats best for THEM (ie. not me) is no collar.
If they do manage to get out perhaps having no visible form of identification is the least of their worries... at least they are chipped. And, as long as I have collars and tags available then those high risk times are covered if necessary.
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No collars here, but they are indoor cats (and microchipped). If they went outside I'd find it a difficult decision, but if I chose a collar I'd go for one of Marla's because I've heard good reports about them, and they seem to break away as intended if needed.
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My cats are microchipped and only wear collars when they are travelling but the only ones I would ever use and recommend are the kittycollar ones.
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my 4 are collarless but chipped and have 24/7 access.
I can also see both sides and tried a collar with Kocka but it irritated her so much I took it off.
The two roaming cats I have Misa nand Sasa would never have collars cos I cant touch Sasa and when I first had Misa he would not let me put one on and he is bigger than me :rofl: :rofl:
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but if I chose a collar I'd go for one of Marla's because I've heard good reports about them, and they seem to break away as intended if needed.
Mine both have Marla's kittycollars - Milly had a fight today and the collar came off so they do work! I have collars on my two at the moment because they are new to the great wide world of the outside and I have put loc8tor trackers on them. I'm unsure about the long term but those collars do have all the details on them and I can track the cats if they go wandering - assuming the collars haven't come off!
If they made some sort of tracking device as part of the microchip I would dispense with the collars and just use that.
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I use to put collars on my cats, but when Bigears came home without her one day I bought her another within a week she came home with it around her waist. That was it no more collars. By the end of this month none of my cats will be able to leave the garden, they are also all microchiped. So I am anti collar..
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my 4 are collarless but chipped and have 24/7 access.
Same thing here, although only 1 cat. Collar-less, chipped and 24/7 access.
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I agree with Angie, better your cat is taken on by a good meaning person than be caught in a collar and found by the rspca. Costs more than £60 to fix a collar injury....
If one of mine goes missing everybody would know about it, a collar wouldnt make much difference as no stranger can get near my lot. Even i cant if they are spooked.
Never will i put a collar on a cat having seen the damage :'( :'(
Maybe T could post Rosies pics and help those on the fence fall off :rofl:
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It is probably worth pointing out that Rosie was wearing an elasticated collar and not a safety one when she was rescued by Teresa.
I have three cats and two wear safety collars (Garcia would just never settle in his and so I decided to leave him without one). They are all chipped, but I also feel that wearing collars gives me extra peace of mind. If anything ever happened to them and they were found dead (I find it hard to even write that) I would hope that it would mean that I was reunited with them. Having lost a cat (he was chipped but didn't have collar on) and heard reports of a cat being seen on the side of the road some days after I lost him I never managed to trace the cat. I often wonder that if it was him and he had been wearing a collar that I might have got him back.
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Wow, there seems to be just as many pros and cons as to whether or not kittens/cats should wear collars at all?
Hi everyone, I am new to owning kittens.
I had just made a thread asking about which types of collars are best for my kittens safety:
http://www.purrsinourhearts.co.uk/index.php/topic,12733.0.html
I was kindly guided by JackSpratt to this thread for more information.
I had no idea? Now I am more confused than ever! :Crazy:
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WE all have different ideas on whether collars should be worn but I think there is a concensus that if you really want your cat to have a collar it must be one with the self opening clasp type that releases immediately the collar gets caught on anything.
Buckles and elastic are an absolute no no.
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Have only just caught up with this thread and noticed a post saying that I have pictures of a collar injury cat; yes I do the cat was a stray called Rosey who lost her leg as a result of being caught in a collar which was elasticated.Had Rosey been wearing a safety collar things would have been so much different.
This collar debate comes up so many times and it is down to personal choice over whether we fit our cats with collars or not. I have spent a good many years looking at collars, I have seen a number of collar injuries but with the advent of safety collars injury numbers are going down; I have never had a cat caught in a safety collar and have every confidence in Kittycollars, they are the only collars I use,incidentally Rosey happily wears a kittycollar.
I really think it is wrong to criticise all collar suppliers and would urge anyone with a collar injury to post details on ths forum like I did for Rosey whose collar was a supermarket one, that way people can truly decide for themselves and genuine good people like Kittycollars who do everything possible to make cats safe, comfortable and be seen enjoy the good reputation they deserve instead of being dragged down by the bad.
Paws Inn microchips all cats but the few who go out like old Buster wear a Kittycollar with pride and in the knowledge they are safe.
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I have read through all of this thread. All of our cats have always had collars, Casper currently has a safety collar on and I'm sure it helped when he went missing last year.
If I get my 2 from the rescue, I will be buying kittycollars for them in case they escape even though they will be microchipped.
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Mine all have kittycollars even although they are indoor cats and microchipped. Widget manages to ping Guinness's collar off on a regular basis. Also it helps Pete tell the boys apart. Seriously though it is up to the individual cat
slave owner. I was against collars but after following Rosey's story it changed my mind.
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I know what you mean about telling them apart. The 2 I am hopefully getting are both ginger tabbies and are so similar except that one is slightly lighter than the other. My OH couldn't tell them apart so I said when I bought collars I would get different coloured ones.
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I have read this thread with interest as I face a dilema. In the UK when I grew up with cats and none of our them wore collars they were always chipped. I personally dont think a collar is necessary but.... Frankie (now 8 weeks old) has just been chipped, but here in France but we are in a very rural 'farm' part of France. Our friendly farmer recommended that we give him a collar to clearly identify him as an 'owned cat' as he said that he knows of farmers and people in the area who do shoot cats on their farms/land when they are over run with them (common here as owners do not really neuter/spay their cats). I am worried as we are in a very lush part of France and therefore worried about his collar getting caught in trees, shrubs etc.
Has anyone else on the forum faced this dilema? Any thoughts are much appreciated xx
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I have had no problem with the break away/safety collars - they do lose a few but better than your cat being injured.
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In that case a breakaway collar would be a good idea although i would probably opt for an indoor cat, not all farmers have good enough eyesight to spot a collar at a distance :(
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Maisie wears a collar from Kittycollars and Fred and Genghis will wear one too when they're old enough. I remember Maisie and Loki hated their collars at first but they did get used to them. They are microchipped but I guess I'm paranoid!
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I'd definitely go for a breakaway collar for him, perhaps ask someone from the UK to buy in bulk if you have trouble finding the breakaway type over in France.
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Thanks, i notice kittycollars delivery to Europe so we can go with them as I notice they are highly recommended. Is there a link I can buy through so purrs in our hearts gets a commission for the sale?