Collars for cats

Cat Collars Essentials

• The collar for cats should be with an easily detachable carabiner or with buttons, a strong latch is not suitable, as it can suffocate;

• The optimal collar width for a cat is 1,5-2 cm;

• The first collar for a kitten can be put on no earlier than 6 months;

• Choose a collar made of quality materials, with a soft inside and round edges;

• Do not tighten the collar too tight: two of your fingers should fit freely between the neck and the collar;

• The pet may be allergic to the material or impregnation of the collar.

Why do cats need collars?

• To protect your cat from fleas and ticks. To do this, there are collars impregnated with insects that protect the animal for several months.

• To protect the cat from other people and cars during walks. A collar on a cat is a clearly visible element that tells other people that the cat is domestic, it has owners, so you should not feed it or take it with you. Also, collars with reflective elements will protect the cat from motorists and cyclists at night.

• To find a cat if it is lost. To do this, you can hang a keychain with a phone number or address on the collar. If a cat is found, people will immediately pay attention to the coordinates of the owner and, most likely, will immediately contact you.

• In order not to implant a chip and not to make identification tattoos on the ear. The chip is a useful device that contains all the information about an animal, including owner details and vaccinations. But you can only see this chip at the veterinarian, while the collar with the address immediately catches your eye.

• To keep the cat’s movements under control. Bell collars help owners hear the cat without seeing it. Collars with a luminous element help to see the cat in the dark, at a great distance or in dense thickets. There are also GPS collars that allow you to track your pet’s movements on your smartphone.

• To calm your pet. These collars are impregnated with pheromones that cats like and calm them down in times of stress or aggression.

• For beauty. Some owners just like to decorate their pet. And there is nothing wrong with that, given that most cats do not feel the collar at all.

How to choose a collar for a cat?

A self-release carabiner is a must for cat collars. It is needed so that the cat can free itself if it accidentally catches the collar on some object. It is for this reason that you should not buy strong dog collars for cats. Also, do not hang collars on cats that can only be removed with scissors.

The size. To choose the right collar in the store, measure your cat’s neck at home with a soft tape or tape measure. Add 1,5-2 cm to the girth. This will be the ideal size for the collar. It shouldn’t sit too tight. Otherwise, it will rub, or it will be uncomfortable for the pet to breathe. In the worst case scenario, this can threaten damage to the cervical vertebrae. The ideal size is when you can fit two fingers between the neck and the collar.

Quality materials and finished edges. Pay attention to the inside of the collar – it should be soft. Run your finger along the edge of the collar – there should be no pain. Ideally, if the edges are rounded.

If you have a hairless cat, it is especially important to choose a collar with soft edges so as not to rub the skin.

If you have a fluffy cat, pay attention to the clasp. It should not have sharp edges in which wool can get tangled.  

The width of the collar is about 1,5-2 cm. Wider ones may be uncomfortable.

Some collars have rings – you can hang a keychain or a bell on them. Never use this ring on a leash, as cats can only be walked on a harness.

Do not buy collars for kittens under 6 months old.

Do not buy collars for animals that have had neck injuries.

Types of collars

With GPS navigator

Tractive GPS tracker for cats, white

Price at the time of publication: 3990 rubles.

It can be a collar with a built-in navigator or a small beacon that is attached to the collar. It is quite light and does not interfere with the animal. Before a walk, be sure to check the charge of the device. These collars have “virtual leash” functions: your tracker starts to give alarms if the cat has gone too far. Such collars allow you to track the path of the animal, track where the pet goes most often, measure the speed of movement, mark on the map the places where the pet slept. In addition to the useful function, it is also very informative. Surely you will learn a lot about the pet. 

With medallion or address book

Identification tag

Price at the time of publication: 120 rubles.

A regular collar with a special pendant that can be engraved with a phone number or address. Just in case your pet gets lost.

Flea or antiparasitic

foresto. Flea, lice and tick collar

Price at the time of publication: 1606 rubles.

These are collars, which are a long rubber strap. They are of the same standard length, and their size is simply adjusted with scissors – the extra piece is cut off. These collars are not used constantly, but during periods of activity of ticks and fleas. There are collars with repellents (they smell of substances that repel insects) and with insecticides (soaked in substances that are absorbed into the skin and coat of the animal and are poisonous to insects). When wearing a collar, it is almost impossible for insecticides to enter the animal’s mouth, the active substance is not washed off (which happens with drops). Before buying any anti-parasitic collar, it is worth knowing that the animal may be allergic to its active substance. If the cat begins to itch, the skin turns red – you need to change the collar and find an alternative with another active substance. On the anti-parasitic collar, you can hang a beacon, a keychain with an address or a bell.

Magnetic

Staywell Magnetic Deluxe Door with Magnetic Key

Price at the time of publication: 4600 rubles.

These collars come with a small pet door. When the host animal approaches its door wearing the collar, the magnet is activated and the door opens easily. This helps the animal to freely go outside and enter the house, at the same time, guest animals will not be able to enter. You can make such a door in a private house or in the door that leads to the toilet.

soothing

Beaphar soothing collar

Price at the time of publication: 830 rubles.

These collars are treated with a compound that contains pheromones. They calm animals that are stressed, overly active or aggressive. Before buying, you should consult with a veterinarian so that the pet does not have allergies. You should also remember that such collars may not work on your pet. After opening the package, the sedative effect lasts about a month.

Nominal

Personalized collar

Price at the time of publication: 272 rubles.

Collar without charms, but with embroidery or engraving. On the collar you can write the name of the pet and the owner’s phone number.

Decorative

Choker collar with buttons

Price at the time of publication: 566 rubles.

With beads, stones, embroidery. Fur, rubber, leather, beaded or floss. Such a collar decorates the pet and demonstrates that the cat is domestic. Some owners with the help of a collar emphasize the pedigree of the animal, its breed.

Sound

Collar with bell

Price at the time of publication: 116 rubles.

With bell or signal. When the cat leaves your field of vision, you continue to hear and control it. Helps visually impaired owners. It can also be used to correct the behavior of cats. Collars with bells are called “stop hunting” and serve to avoid cat attacks on other animals in the house: for example, if you have a bird or a second cat who is sometimes offended. The “victim” will be able to hear the approach of his offender and run away in time. However, “hunters” can adapt to the bell and learn to move silently. Then you will have to change the bell periodically.

Self-release (for walking)

Collar with carabiner

Price at the time of publication: 215 rubles.

Useful if the cat has constant access to the street. Just like that, it will not fly off, but if the cat catches on something strong, then the self-release fastener will save it from suffocation. 

harness

harness

Price at the time of publication: 131 rubles.

This is a collar and straps that wrap around the front paws of the cat. Only in this design can a cat be walked on a leash. It is impossible to lead a cat on a leash and one collar, as they have a very delicate neck and you can accidentally damage it.

Luminous

Luminous collar

Price at the time of publication: 364 rubles.

It will protect the cat at night from cars and bicycles. It will also help you not to lose sight of your pet.

Reflective

Collar with reflector

Price at the time of publication: 300 rubles.

Keep your cat away from cars and bikes at night. And it is very convenient to look for cats in such collars with a flashlight in the summer cottage. 

How to put on a collar?

The cat must be relaxed. Hold the collar in your hands, let your pet sniff it, play with it. Leave it for a while. Then you can open the collar and put it on the cat. When tightening the strap, always keep two fingers between the strap and the cat’s neck. This way you will control the size of the collar and not pull it too tight. The distance from the neck to the collar should be 1-2 cm, that is, two fingers should pass freely under the strap. Then find the carabiner, release it from the wool and snap it into place. If you put on a flea collar, then after fixing, cut off the remaining long tip with scissors. Usually the collar does not interfere with cats and does not bother them. If the animal is constantly itching, you may have tightened the collar too tightly or the cat is allergic to this material.

How to train a cat or a cat to a collar?

It is necessary to accustom a cat to a collar from an early age, but not earlier than six months. Otherwise, it may cause neck injury. From six months on, kittens can be tied with a light ribbon, a bow, but not too tight. Then you can try on the kitten the first collar made of soft materials.

If you are accustoming an adult cat to a collar, then do not rush to immediately put a collar on it. First, take it out, hold it in your hands, show it to the cat, offer to sniff, explore, play with it. When the cat gets used, you can try to put it on. At the same time, you can appease the cat with your favorite wet food, treats. Or put on a collar before feeding. The main thing is not to tighten too tight and be careful with the fasteners so that they do not chew the cat’s hair. If you have chosen a collar made of good materials and tightened it not too tight, then the cat will not even notice it.

February 20 2021

Updated: 1 March 2021