by B. Iris Tanner

Created on: December 19, 2011   Last Updated: December 20, 2011

To collar or not to collar? Most cat owners face this decision at some point in time, and can easily find valid arguments both in favor and against the use of cat collars. However, since individual personalities and living situations vary dramatically from one cat to another, the best approach is usually to consider both the pros and cons as they specifically relate to your cat. You may very well find that some of the “cons” can actually be turned into “pros” if addressed properly.

Let’s start with the “cons:”

Risk of injury outdoors

Unfortunately, it is quite possible for a cat’s collar to catch on some underbrush or projection and cause injury. This is a greater risk for cats who live in more rural areas and go outdoors regularly. It’s also more likely to happen if you don’t take enough care in choosing a collar and buy one that was actually made for a dog. Dog collars are designed to withstand pressure, while most cat collars today have a “breakaway” feature that triggers a release of the collar if the cat is struggling to get free of it. If you do get a collar for your cat, be absolutely sure that it is one of the breakaway collars.

Potential damage to fur and neck

Putting a collar on a long-haired cat is problematic. If you don’t trim the fur around the collar area, the collar may not fit properly and it certainly won’t be all that visible. In addition, as the cat and its neck ruff grow larger and fluffier, respectively, the collar may become uncomfortably tight. On the other hand, if you do trim the fur, the result is not particularly attractive and the odds are that the cat will not like it at all. With a short-haired cat, you don’t need to worry about the fur, but you should still make sure that the collar isn’t too tight. Young cats grow very quickly and a kitten’s collar can become uncomfortably tight in just a few weeks. Make sure you can always fit two fingers in between the neck and the collar.

Not necessary with a microchip

People often think that if they microchip their cat, they don’t need to put a collar on it. If the cat is an indoor-only cat, there’s certainly less need to do so. But just because you intend your cat to stay completely indoors does not mean that it will never manage to find its way outdoors. And if this should happen, the person who might find your cat is not likely to be carrying a chip reader in his or her back

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