In US, 7Million pets go missing every year, 26% of dogs are reported and returned, but for CATS....

[Lyn (Slugsta)]

I think that a collar does signify 'owned'.Mine both need to wear a collar with a magnet in order to get in through the cat flap. Cleo was already comfortable with a collar when she came to us but Alfie got through about 3 a week when we first started putting them on him.Just as I was swearing that I would get a micro-chip flap when he had got through the current batch of collars and magnets, he settled down and has not lost one for ages. You know what will happen next, don't you... 

I do think it would take a very long time for non-cat people to catch on to the significance of orange collars.

[emmmy_lou]

Do you know what, it mind sound a bit topsy turvy, but if my cats were indoor, I'd probably have collars on them all with id tags on. And I think having a specific colour for an escaped cat is a good idea in principle, but it would take a LONG time for people to become aware of its significance. Then there is the problem of trying to catch a cat you dont know and tring to read the ID tag.

I'm not against collars at all, but it would cost me a small fortune having to constantly replace them, and yes they were always two fingers tight when I put them on  I dont know how they get rid of them so quickly 

[Purdy Bear]

I know a lot don't agree with putting safety collars on outdoor cats but I do.  In a run a few years back I found 4 cats who died in RTA's and left at the side of the street.  If there had been an ID tag to read I could have contacted the owners straight away.  In the end I paid out for a scanner to use, and have yet to find any more kitties that have been killed.

The other thing about an obvious collar is that people know the cat is owned, thus wont rescue the stray when in fact the cat is just out for mid afternoon stroll.  I've found people are very visual.

[Sue P (Paddysmum)]

Interesting idea. 

I think the difference between cats and dogs in the UK is that cats are regularly seen as being outdoor animals, unlike dogs.

A dog on its own draws attention, and most people will accept a dog without an accompanying owner is going to be an escapee or a stray, and therefore at risk. 

Not so with cats, who may be indoor only,  indoor/outdoor, or wholly outdoors.    In the US, cats have a great deal more natural predators than they do here in the UK.  Many US owners have little option but to keep their cats as indoors cats, or to cat proof their gardens, if they want to keep predators away.

In the UK, cars and dogs are the biggest causes of loss of life in the feline populations.   47% of cats in the UK die from RTA's compared to just under 7% who succumb to viral diseases. 

Not all cats will countenance wearing collars and not all people even bother to report a dead cat at the roadside - it's often viewed as an unfortunate fact of life for cats that aren't indoor only cats. 

The vast majority of people finding a dead cat would never think of taking it to a vet so it could be scanned for a microchip, which is why I personally prefer my cats to wear safety collars.  I've been fortunate enough to have two of my fatally injured cats returned because of the collar and ID tag.

[isolovecats]

In US, 7Million pets go missing every year, 26% of dogs are reported and returned, but for CATS....it's less than 5%. Why the disparity? The Oatmeal has come up with a solution to this problem. The Kitty Convict program. I encourage all of you to participate in it. You can visit it here: http://www.explodingkittens.com/kittyconvict?2:

Hello guys, this is a serious problem. What do you think?