# Do all your cats wear collars?



## mellen04 (Jun 5, 2008)

I haven't gotten a collar for Zander yet because he is 100% indoor (I know I cannot guarantee he won't ever escape) and I'm sort of afraid it'll get caught on something. Is this a rational thought, or do they usually break free easily (the collar latch or the cat?!)?


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## PeaceLoveRescue (Feb 15, 2008)

Bosco doesn't wear one as he is the OH's cat and therefore he makes the decisions for him. That nad Bosco has no want for the outside world, even if the door is left open he wants nothing to do with it.

Reyna on the other hand loves to try and squeeze past the door any chance she gets. She is microchiped as well as wears a breakaway collar (will break open if she gets caught on something) with a tag just incase she does get out one of these days. We tested the collar out one night by accident. she fell of the back of the couch and I went to catch her but instead grabbed her collar and it unsnapped before she hit the ground.

Both are indoor with rare trips into the backyard on a leash and harness.


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## Kobster (Feb 1, 2007)

All my cats wear ID, they all have break away collars and I know they work because they get out of them sometimes. My cats are all indoor but I have one that tries to escape all the time and weird things happen and cats get lost, I just want them to make it home if they do. They are all microchipped too, but I'm not going to rely on that alone because I'm not convinced that the incompetent boobs at Animal Control actually scan the animals that come in. Most vets aren't routinely scanning strays either. I hear so many horror stories of families that adopt cats and find out years later that they were microchipped and there was a family missing the cat the whole time. 

Sorry, that was a bit of a rant. 

But yes, collars a must for me.


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## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

I have safety collars and name tags on both of my cats.... just in case.


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## katlover13 (Apr 15, 2008)

None of mine have collars, I just don't feel comfortable with them. I once had a cat that managed to get a collar in his mouth at the same time it was around the back of his neck. He did it some time during the night and was stuck with his lower jaw pried open and unable to free himself or make a sound. I know the fit was probably not correct but I have never wanted to take a chance on it again.
Isn't the rule two fingers of extra room under the collar?


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## talullah (May 25, 2008)

Well I know I'm an unfit parent, but NONE of our cats would keep one on. We tried since they were kittens.


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## CuteNCraze86 (Dec 29, 2007)

All three of mine have safety collars with ID tags. They do not go outside but I feel better about it with them. I also know they break-away like designed because Ollie is a master of getting his off. Which makes me wonder what good it would really do him. But I still feel better about it. Plus I think it's cute


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## doublemom (Feb 17, 2008)

None of my three cats wear collars. They are all three indoors, but have a completely enclosed outdoor area to play in. One also walks on a harness and leash and we take him out once or twice a day for a walk. They're all microchipped. I've tried collars on them, and no matter how I tried to adjust the fit, they either all got them off, or got them stuck in their mouths with their lower jaws hanging open, which just freaked them out. 

Andi


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## Claiken (Dec 18, 2007)

both of mine do. and actually, im anal enough to require certain brands for my cats. why? the size of the bell, creates the pitch level! lol. Simba gets "Safe Cat", which has a slightly deeper jingle than Boo's "the safety collar". I can tell from the pitch who is coming!

(music major here, LOL). 

I mainly have them wear a collar so that way, if they do sneak out (god forbid!) people will know they have a home. They dont have tags though. I wonder if that would be a good idea... an "if lost return me to" type thing. Heres to hoping that NEVER happens! *touch wood*

ETA: I thought Boo was the only case of a collar getting stuck with the jaw open & on the back of her neck. it was when she was SO skinny and malnourished, that even the tightest setting, we could fit 4 fingers in there easily. i am SO thankful that i woke up to pee and heard the excessive jingling and went to investigate. It freaked me right out. You should have seen her licking once i freed her, as if to say "thank you mama". I didnt put one back on until a bit later, once she gained more. I wanted to be sure that couldnt happen again. (once in 3 years though, i think im in the clear.) What does scare me though is that it didnt break away. It must have been just that snug but not enough tension to pull apart. heres hoping that never happens again, too.

id like to know how the heck she manouvered it into that position though... it was quite hard to reach in there and break it away for her, not much room at all. it was a loose fit at the time, but i didnt think quite that lose.


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## melysion (Mar 12, 2007)

Toby wears a collar and (huge) ID tag but I'm getting nervous about how safe it is. When he was in the garden at the weekend it got hooked up on a branch. Thankfully I was there to unhook it immediately.

Perhaps its time for a microchip instead.


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## Claiken (Dec 18, 2007)

melysion said:


> Perhaps its time for a microchip instead.


does this hurt them? it goes in their ear somehow, right?


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## melysion (Mar 12, 2007)

Claiken said:


> melysion said:
> 
> 
> > Perhaps its time for a microchip instead.
> ...


don't think its the ear - I *think* its injected in between the shoulder blades and that the cat feels it in the same way they would feel a vaccine.


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## Linus&friends (Mar 24, 2008)

Linus wears one of these, which is personalised with his name & my phone-number:

http://www.kittycollars.co.uk/

These are really great and I highly recommend them!

Linus has never fussed over wearing a collar, funnily enough. I will be getting him microchipped soon, too, just to be on the safe side.


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## Huge2 (Jan 28, 2008)

Pegs has a collar with her name and our number. It's wearing out though cos it was a cheapy one. I want to find a good quality one, but I know she'll go and lose it.

I tested the collar on my wrist for a day, purposely getting it caught in stuff, and it took no effort at all to undo it. I felt it was safe enough. When we took her to the vet, he said it was one of the better ones he'd seen. One cat he'd had in that day had an old fashioned leather one with a buckle fastening 8O He took it off and threw it away.


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## melysion (Mar 12, 2007)

Linus&friends said:


> Linus wears one of these, which is personalised with his name & my phone-number:
> 
> http://www.kittycollars.co.uk/
> 
> ...


Hey, those collars are excellent. I might investigate those. Certainly beats a ID tag the size of Manhatten! :lol:


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## harry (Jan 25, 2006)

my cats do not wear collars, all of them are indoor cats only and luckily they do not try to escape.


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## OctoberinMaine (Sep 12, 2006)

We didn't give Murphy a collar because he's indoor only and is microchipped. I just can't make him wear this thing around his neck that he may not like, but can't do anything about. That just feels harsh to me (although I understand why people would do it if the cat was a flight risk).


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## Huge2 (Jan 28, 2008)

Pegs doesn't mind hers one bit. If she did, she'd soon have it off.


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## oklahomegrownveg (May 31, 2008)

None of my three wears a collar. 
I personally don't think a cat looks right in a collar. 
A dog, yes. But a cat, no.

But that's just my humble opinion.

Perhaps I could get one with big studs in for Alvin? 
Please, could someone do me a graphic of that? :lol: 

Mick.


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## Sparky (Apr 11, 2008)

I tried to put a collar on Duchess once. You'd have thought I'd put a shock collar on her. She ran all over the house, shaking and scratching trying to get that torture device off. It took a full ten minutes before I could get ahold of her to remove it. So no collar for Duchess. It was pretty pink leather with diamonds all around too. Maybe she didn't like the color!


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## mstx (Mar 4, 2008)

Munchkin has a pretty pink one with a bell and a glow in the dark charm. I have one for Izzy that a light pink with a silver and a bell but she is too small to wear it yet.


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## TrinityQuiet (May 18, 2007)

Rotten doesn't have a collar, for some reason it's just never seemed right to put a collar on a cat. And I think it would infinitely break what trust she has for me.


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## jonsgirl (Nov 7, 2003)

Both of mine wear safety collars however at the moment Kota is naked because we can't figure out what she did with hers. :lol: Mine are also indoor kitties but Stix is a door dasher. 

How big is your kitty? When Kota was a kitten she got the cord to the blinds wrapped around her collar and it didn't break open because she was too little. Not enough weight to pull her down. Good thing it happened when I was home. I would say if he is tiny then wait a little bit.


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## Kobster (Feb 1, 2007)

Hmmm, my cats have always worn collars, they look just fine and trust me plenty. I don't see what the big deal is?


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## mstx (Mar 4, 2008)

forgot to mention my kittys also have the saftey collars....


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## melysion (Mar 12, 2007)

TrinityQuiet said:


> Rotten doesn't have a collar, for some reason it's just never seemed right to put a collar on a cat. And I think it would infinitely break what trust she has for me.


Why would putting a collar on a cat lead to mistrust? Doesnt make a lot of sense to me. Guess I'm missing something 

Toby didnt wear a collar at all until I adopted him but he doesnt seem to care that its on and never has done, even from the start. And I think he looks cute wearing it (although admittedly the ID tag is very large - but then I need a lot of info on it).


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## Kaia Cat (Apr 11, 2007)

Kaia wears a breakaway collar with her ID tags, she's an indoor cat, but wears it as a precaution. She doesn't seem to mind it one bit, and its made out of fleece so i think its comfy for her. When she was a kitten she managed to get it in her mouth, and it broke away in seconds..so i defiantly trust her wearing it. I got hers from softfleecepetproducts.com and love it


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## TrinityQuiet (May 18, 2007)

melysion said:


> TrinityQuiet said:
> 
> 
> > Rotten doesn't have a collar, for some reason it's just never seemed right to put a collar on a cat. And I think it would infinitely break what trust she has for me.
> ...


Everything I do is a distinct offense against her. Picking her up, moving her bowl, trying to give her a flea treatment or ear mite treatment, when I don't let her out of the house, when I don't let her in the house, when I don't let her tear my arm into a thousand scraps of flesh, when I try to play with her, when I don't try to play with her...she's impossible to please. She likes to think she's feral. I can't imagine what sticking something around her neck would be like, even my loving cats take high offense to collars & won't have anything to do with me for days.


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## Claiken (Dec 18, 2007)

its so weird that some cats just will not wear them.... it didnt even phase either of my cats... they barely noticed, if at all.


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## Smirkitty (Apr 19, 2008)

I've had some cats that would fall to the floor and refuse to move (for literally HOURS) if I put a collar on them. I've had others that loved them, and were so proud to be wearing one. I've also had cats get their little jaws stuck in them, and it always seems to happen while I'm away at work so they have to sit there all day waiting for mommy to come home and rescue them.

Our two boys don't wear collars. They are indoor guys and we live in an apartment building from which it would be very difficult for them to escape. Huh...why do I feel like I have to justify this? 

Nope, my cats don't wear collars


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## Huge2 (Jan 28, 2008)

Smirkitty said:


> I've had some cats that would fall to the floor and refuse to move (for literally HOURS) if I put a collar on them. I've had others that loved them, and were so proud to be wearing one. I've also had cats get their little jaws stuck in them, and it always seems to happen while I'm away at work so they have to sit there all day waiting for mommy to come home and rescue them.
> 
> Our two boys don't wear collars. They are indoor guys and we live in an apartment building from which it would be very difficult for them to escape. Huh...why do I feel like I have to justify this?


lol.... You don't at all of course.


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## rachi99 (Jan 30, 2004)

My cats: "Breakaway collar, you say?" 

(insert paw, remove collar, walk away). 10 seconds average.

I have them microchipped, and they are indoor only, but it does worry me.


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## mstx (Mar 4, 2008)

rachi99 said:


> My cats: "Breakaway collar, you say?"
> 
> (insert paw, remove collar, walk away). 10 seconds average.
> 
> I have them microchipped, and they are indoor only, but it does worry me.


lol yea Izzy figured out how to remove Munchkins!!! How did the microchipping go? I have heard some stories of the cats immune system pushing the chip out of the skin


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## gunterkat (Aug 19, 2006)

Arianwen figured out how to break her breakaway collar.  She has a microchip since the beginning of February, and no problems with it at all.


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## Montana (Jul 9, 2008)

Tobey, my kitten, wears a collar. At first he didn't like it but now that he is use to it he doesn't mind it. The little bell on ithelps us know where the little ninja is, hehe.


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## camel24j (Jan 12, 2007)

every cat i ever had has had a collar. the 2 cats i have now both have them one only like red the other is not fussy lol


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## librarychick (May 25, 2008)

TrinityQuiet i sympathize. My jitzu is exactly like this. I'm the only one she tolerates...but i love her anyways.

I work at a petstore and am so paranoid from all the stories I've heard about cats who run away that mine will always wear collars. Jitzu hated it at first (i had to pet her for an hour and then slip it on when she was half-snoozing) but i tightened it as far as it would go so she couldn't get it off. Within 3 hours (supervised) she started ignoring it enough so that she let me soothe/pet her enough to loosen it a bit. I have to do the soothe/pet maneuver before i can switch her collar every time...silly girl.

My other cat Torri i just got a collar and put it on as soon as she was big enough. The only problem we had was when i switched to ones with bells...she ran around the house trying to chase herself for a while...pretty funny really. She got over it.

I'm getting them new collars soon, the last ones were their Christmas presents


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## LilRed (Jul 16, 2008)

Both my cats wear collars, the safety kind with no bells. They are indoor cats at night but are free to come and go during the day. So I try to make sure they keep a collar on to identify them. They do occasionally lose them. But they don't seem to mind them. I suppose I should have them microchipped as well but I am not sure any vets or shelters around my area have scanners!! I don't put a bell on them as I think the noise would make them too easy to find & track by predators.


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## Kobster (Feb 1, 2007)

Librarychick, I have a great visual or torrie chasing herself! HAHA!


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## gunterkat (Aug 19, 2006)

Many years ago I had a beautiful longhaired tortoiseshell kitty who would only wear red collars. Anything else was off in less than a minute.
Ugly, your paw-prints are on my heart, too.
:catrun


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## Silver deer (Dec 31, 2007)

Milly's microchipped, but she's just started wearing a collar as well:


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## LilRed (Jul 16, 2008)

Silver deer said:


> Milly's microchipped, but she's just started wearing a collar as well:


Gosh, she is beautiful!


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## Dave_L (Jul 31, 2008)

Slasher and Ripper are inside-only and are microchipped, but I've ordered collars from softfleecepetproducts.com (recommended above by Kaia Cat) for them.

I figure that the collars will improve their chances of getting returned if they ever get out. With the microchip alone, even if someone found them, they might think they're feral or abandoned. With the collars, they'll know they have an owner.

I hope they like them.


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## TigerKat (Aug 29, 2008)

I am in the process of getting Tiger used to wearing collars. I think the little bell on the collar drives him crazy lol. Even though he will be an indoor cat only he will still need to wear it because the city requires all animals to have a license. So if in case he escapes he won't be sent to the pound or whatever, all the city has to do is look up the number . Plus he has his Rabies tag too.


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## gunterkat (Aug 19, 2006)

Tiger might learn how to run full-throttle while keeping the bell silent.
Many years ago I had indoor/outdoor cats who learned that trick. They only let the bell ring when they wanted to get my attention. 8O 
rcat


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## Silver deer (Dec 31, 2007)

LilRed said:


> Silver deer said:
> 
> 
> > Milly's microchipped, but she's just started wearing a collar as well:
> ...


Thank you! 



gunterkat said:


> Tiger might learn how to run full-throttle while keeping the bell silent.
> Many years ago I had indoor/outdoor cats who learned that trick. They only let the bell ring when they wanted to get my attention. 8O


My friend's parents have a cat who is indoor/outdoor and he's learnt to keep the bell silent by putting it in his mouth when he stalks prey! 8O Now they have two bells on his collar so he can't hold them both in his mouth!


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## noludoru (Jun 19, 2008)

Nope, they don't. They're indoor kitties with supervised outdoor playtime, though, if that helps. When they are outdoors it's leash + harness or fenced yard.


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## TigerKat (Aug 29, 2008)

gunterkat said:


> Tiger might learn how to run full-throttle while keeping the bell silent.
> Many years ago I had indoor/outdoor cats who learned that trick. They only let the bell ring when they wanted to get my attention. 8O
> rcat


That is funny about the bell. It'll be interesting to see what he does.


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## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

I got a great idea from Siamese Rescue. When you put a tag on your cats, add the words, "Inside cat only." Otherwise people might think that it's cute that your cat has a collar, but might not realize that your cat got out by mistake. 

Those kitties who can keep their bells silent are very clever. Blueberry has a bell, only because it came with the collar. I don't allow him to go outside, but I always know where he is in the house.


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## Silver deer (Dec 31, 2007)

Jeanie said:


> I got a great idea from Siamese Rescue. When you put a tag on your cats, add the words, "Inside cat only." Otherwise people might think that it's cute that your cat has a collar, but might not realize that your cat got out by mistake.


That's a great idea... I might do that! Although, there's no space on Milly's tag and she already has so many things attached to her collar (over here you have to have their rego number on the collar, and I think the second number tag thing is Milly's microchip number, and then of course she has the tag with her name and my contact number on it).

After seeing that cat get hit by the car, (sorry to keep going on about it, but it was kind of traumatic seeing it happen right infront of me) I'm really glad I started getting Milly to wear a collar - if that was my cat that got hit and I wasn't there, I would have wanted someone to ring me right away.


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## melysion (Mar 12, 2007)

Toby has the following on his tag:

My name is Toby
If I am outside, I am lost!
I am FIV+
Tel: <my phone number>


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## Silver deer (Dec 31, 2007)

melysion said:


> Toby has the following on his tag:
> 
> My name is Toby
> If I am outside, I am lost!
> ...


All the info you need!  Where'd you have your tag made? It seems like most places that make pet tags will only fit a short name and a phone number on it!


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Allie, are you able to keep the same phone number when you move or do you have to get a new tag for Toby? Here, even if you just move a couple miles away, sometimes you can't keep your phone number. :?


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## Dave_L (Jul 31, 2008)

Dave_L said:


> Slasher and Ripper are inside-only and are microchipped, but I've ordered collars from softfleecepetproducts.com (recommended above by Kaia Cat) for them.
> 
> I figure that the collars will improve their chances of getting returned if they ever get out. With the microchip alone, even if someone found them, they might think they're feral or abandoned. With the collars, they'll know they have an owner.
> 
> I hope they like them.


The collars arrived, and the kitties have been wearing them for about 12 hours.

When I first put them on, they twitched a little. I distracted them with play for few minutes, and they no longer seemed to notice the collars, except for scratching in that area occasionally.

I haven't put tags on yet. I have some choices. The tags with the microchip numbers that came with the microchipping, or some do-it-yourself plastic tags that came in the vet's "kitty package" (FasTags).

I was also considering writing info directly on the collars with a laundry marker.


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## Janene (Sep 6, 2008)

Our raggies wear collars, even though they are strictly indoor cats, but they also are microchipped and have an id tag which reads

Hi, I'm Merlin/Casear
Please call my mum on
(phone number)
....I'm a paranoid person lol, and I feel if they did ever get out, I want to make it as easy as possible for anyone who finds them to contact me. Our little rescue kitty Tabitha is microchipped but doesn't wear a collar. I've tried a million times to get her use to one but she absolutely hates it...She fights it the entire time....So for peace I have let her off wearing one...She is outside of a day (when she wants to be) but is always inside of a night.


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## AllAmericanPUP (Aug 28, 2008)

Moose wears a collar, need to get a tag made for him though. he has never minded the collar..doesnt even seem to notice it

Ninja & Moonfire will wear collars if they will tolerate them when they are a bit older


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## melysion (Mar 12, 2007)

marie73 said:


> Allie, are you able to keep the same phone number when you move or do you have to get a new tag for Toby? Here, even if you just move a couple miles away, sometimes you can't keep your phone number. :?


its my mobile phone number (or cell phone you guys call it) so no, dont need to change it. i have had the same number for years.

Silverdeer - i got the tag from a online place called 'felinefido'. its a USA company but will ship internationally at a very cheap cost.


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## Silver deer (Dec 31, 2007)

melysion said:


> Silverdeer - i got the tag from a online place called 'felinefido'. its a USA company but will ship internationally at a very cheap cost.


Thanks, melysion!


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## Dave_L (Jul 31, 2008)

My kitties have been wearing their collars for several days now. The only problem is that they scratch at them a lot. Maybe that will stop as they get more accustomed to them.

I tried putting a tag on Slasher, but he kept trying to bite and chew it.


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