Collars for kitties

Hey all;

I read a couple of threads about cats apparently hurt as a result of collars getting hung up. This note is to separate out the collar issue from any single incident.

For long and long, plain collars with solid buckles were the only option available, if one chose to collar one's cat.

Then came using a bit of elastic to mount the buckle, elastic as part of the makeup of the collar itself, using Velcro-like material as the closure, friction fit buckles, snap closures...

For many years, I have been using "safety" collars; noticing from time to time that one of the girls gets "naked."  Find a collar, find the cat, reattach...repeat cycle several times a year.

I had one (Calamity Jane Grey), who would bring her collar into the living room where we'd be sure to see it and sit next to it until she was "dressed" again.

The safety collars aren't much higher in cost than the solid collars; it's a little thing, but can save kitty some hurt and you some heartache.

[zodiacqueen]

Thank you for posting this!!!!  This is so important, and I hope that everyone reads it.  To me, a few extra dollars in cost is WELL worth preventing your kitty from suffocating and hanging itself.  So WELL worth it!

[dominosarah]

I use a safety collar on Snickers too.  Better to be safe than sorry.  Thanks for posting this........sara

[opus88]

thx...that is important info for all kitty owners to know abt.
also wanted to add the type of 'collar' I use on my one kitty, I keep this one on a leash with me outside because of fence jumping antics!
He is a rather large cat abt 15 lbs. therefore I can use a small dog HARNESS that isn't tight around the neck like a collar, it straps around the front shoulders than around the body..in 2....therefore no chance of choking as the neck part is very wide. its still possible for them to escape from however takes a bit more maneuvering than a neck collar.
I've never been able to find CAT leashes like these, only ones for small dogs, has anyone else found the smaller ones specifically for cats?

[heatherlynn22]

venus has a safety collar. her "jewelry". she does not like her "jewelry". if the collar vanishes it takes mommy and daddy about a week to find it. and she looks so funny when she's "naked".

[Tammy2009]

Cat harnesses tend to be like an H.    A strap that clicks around the neck and another strap that clicks around the belly.  

However the funny part is that most of the harnesses (cats AND dogs) and collars (safety or not), say on the package "not for tie-out use".   I find this very ironic.  

One of my cats uses the standard cat harness and the other uses the same harness, I believe, as you opus88.  It is a comfort wrap or step-in (depending what the company calls it).  The animal steps in with both feet and there is one clip that is done over the shoulder blades.  Thus the one strap is behind the feet is the "armpit" area and the other is down across the chest.  I love this style on him but it hurts my other cat to step into it because of her arthitis.  

Any time cats are tied outside using a harness, you probably should be checking on them every 15-20 minutes or so at the least and make sure the area there can get to is free of objects they could jump and strangle themselves with.  

[heatherlynn22]

you know i don't think i've ever seen a cat tied up outside before.

i have however seen this old man shuffling down the street walking his cat. said cat seemed very content going on his walk. he walked along the wall next to "his man" going slowly so the old guy could keep up. it was rather entertaining.

i tried putting a leash on venus once. yeah...that will never ever ever ever happen again. she was NOT happy with me. she sat there and looked at me like "wtf do you think you are doing?" glared at me, bit me and refused to move until i took it off of her. lol.

my moms dog anytime he sees someone holding his leash he starts jumping up and down and looking at you like "walk? walk? are we going for a walk? come on lets go! walk! walk? walk!!!! her other dog....he sticks his nose up to his leash. he's such a pampered, prissy mutt.

[Piparskeggr]

Most of my cats have been harness trained, using the figure-8 loop type: chest and neck with the leash ring centered over the shoulders.

Calamity and her sister Victoria were the most avid walkers, Cammie so much more so ,-)

We used to stake the Grey sisters (Cammie & Victoria) out on the front lawn.

One time when we were stationed at Eglin AFB in Florida, my wife (Anita) goes in the house for a couple of minutes to get some water.  When she comes back out, Cammie is sitting of the stoop and her harness is swaying in the breeze, depended from a branch of the tree by the front door.  I think Cammie usually stayed in harness because it made us happy, not because she had to...

[opus88]

Yes thats what I use the figure 8 loop type.
And Sami is never left outside with his leash on Tammy he is walked around and around the perimeter of the yard, when we get tired we both have a lawn chair on the deck...after jumping the fence once on me he was told he was either an inside kitty or it was going to have to be a leash...and he agreed on a leash...he is very cooperative, mostly he walks.. I follow. even my other kitty who is 'non leashed' is never in the back yard without me....we garden or walk or just sit and read they are my companions!!

[Tammy2009]

good good piparskeggr.   My old cat (now 18 years) I have never been able to get more than a block away from the house but she is content on sitting in our front yard and "guarding" the house, the only things she can reach to wrap around is my poor sunflowers in the flowerbed (which they aren't suppose to go in ....), she killed two ones earlier this year by wrapping her leash so tight around she cut into the stalk and pulled them over.  

My other cat (the one in my picture), is like a dog.  Heaven help you if you don't take him for atleast a 45 minute walk every day now (when he was younger we would go out for close to an 1 1/2 hours).  He loves meeting new people, doesn't mind dogs as long as they don't bark at him, but hates other cats.  I take him to my old job (pet store) where I got him from and he loves the place, and loves going for car rides anywhere.