# Why wont my cat wear a collar?



## Hannah (Feb 3, 2004)

My cat has never worn a collar. We tried putting one on her when she was younger, but she got it caught in her teeth while trying to pull it off. She could have choked herself, but luckily she was with us at the time, and we could cut it off. We tried again years later, but she went to do the same thing so we took it off right away. I dont know why it is that she wont wear a collar. She is a tortiose shell with long fur. Is it something to do with her having alot of fur around her neck area, and she finds it uncomfortable? I really dont know why we cant get her to wear one, does anyone know?
Thanks


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## Zalensia (Aug 25, 2003)

It is easier to do it when they are young.
Cats will do EVERYTHING i mean everything they can do get a collar off at first. My cats have rubbed thier necks on the floor, pull if off with thier paws, and bite it off, and yep they got it stuck in thier mouths more times than i can count. I started off by putting it on them while i was home, and going to be around them such as watching tv. Then if it got stuck you can get it out. When you go bed take it off the cat, or basically when you aint gonna be around. Again the next day put the collar on, most likely it will be the same rutine for a few days. Eventually she will get use to it, or more of she will have learnt that if aint coming off no matter how hard she tries! Once you can spend a day pretty much with her not bothering to try and get it off then shes all set and you can leave it on her.
Occasionaly she might have a mess with it, but not often only 1 of my 5 cats still has a little hissy from time to time about the collar.


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## Hannah (Feb 3, 2004)

Thanks for that info! Ill give it a try.


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## CatLover (Jan 24, 2004)

O.K., first of all, that's really awkward, because that's MY name too. Hannah. My oppinion is to put it on when they're OLDER. That's what I did, & it worked better. Try to find leather collars, because they won't snag, & they can't chew it off & get choked. If you try to put it on a kitten, it will increase the risk of it getting hung, or chewed & choked on. If you want a collar on your cat at all, try to wait untill it's about 1-2 years old, because they don't sell collars for cats that young, & they understand alot better. :wink: I REALLY hope this has helped you!


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## Zalensia (Aug 25, 2003)

CatLover1989 said:


> Try to find leather collars, because they won't snag, & they can't chew it off & get choked. If you try to put it on a kitten, it will increase the risk of it getting hung, or chewed & choked on. If you want a collar on your cat at all, try to wait untill it's about 1-2 years old, because they don't sell collars for cats that young



I just wanted to correct you there on a few things
On that they dont sell collars for young cats, that is incorrect. I had collars for my kittens i kept from when they were 7 weeks old, You can buy collars which just fold into themselves and become very small.
If you are going to get a leather collar then also make sure it has an ellastic safety strap, or a snap away connector, otherwise then, because leather doesnt stretch you really will run the risk of the cat being hung!


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## CatLover (Jan 24, 2004)

O.K., they don't sell kitten collars in Texas, is what I mean. But I tried a saftey strap, & they just pulled it off. The leather collars I get are the best so far, I'm not trying to argue with your expertise, I'm just saying what worked for ME.(mainly because I don't think my cats are from this planet, more like Planet I'minchargeherenothumans) :lol:




Oh, another reason they haven't gotten hung is cause they're strictly indoor cats.(that way they can't fly back to their home planet, either!)


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## Zalensia (Aug 25, 2003)

Hehe, i wouldnt go so far as to say im an expert!
A majority of stuff i know i have gotten from here! 
Well if they are indoors only then i think leather would be fine, but with the nutters my cats are i dont think i would risk it, if they go outside then use an elastic or snap away collar please!


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## Littlebigcatdaddy (Jan 16, 2004)

Another thing to try is everything! :lol: Although I think that's being insinuated here, but you really have to try alot of different collars until you find the one that some cats don't object to.
Take one of mine: She will ONLY put up with one kind, made by one company, with fleece on the inside, and very narrow so as to maybe trick her into thinking it's not there sometimes. I'm serious, I must have tried two dozen types of safety collars, breakaways, etc. Suddenly, one day, she took to this one. I immediately snatched up 6 since she does tend to play with it still and shred it on occassion, but something is better than nothing!


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## drjean (Jan 6, 2004)

*collars*

Good discussion! I do want to emphasize here that cats should ONLY wear safety collars, either elastic or breakaway. Even indoor cats, because they jump and climb, can hang themselves on a wide variety of things such as drawer handles. A leather dog collar can easily kill a cat. There are nice suede collars that have an elastic band, so that if the cat gets hung up on something the collar will come off. My favorite kind is Beastie Bands, they are made of neoprene (like scuba suits), very light and very stretchy. Because they are so light, most cats don't mind them. Plus they come in all kinds of fun patterns. Harmony collars are also good.

Not every cat can or will wear a collar. I had one boy who just couldn't-- no matter how snug I made it, he would get his lower jaw hooked under it, and if I made it looser, he would put his paw through it and be wearing it half under his arm!

One thing that has worked very well, and cats seem to tolerate it, is buying a packet of 1/2" elastic at the fabric store. I cut a length sufficient to go around the neck, not tight, but not loose either. I write my phone number on the elastic with a Sharpie, and sew the two ends together. This makes a collar so lightweight the cat barely notices. You can just make a new one as the cat grows. Okay, so it is not very pretty. But it works!

An alternative safety measure is to have the cat microchipped. I strongly recommend microchips--they are cheap insurance against your cat ever becoming lost. I have heard many true tales about cats being missing for months, even years, and ultimately returned home because of a microchip. Even though mine are exclusively indoor-only, they are all microchipped. I always made sure to inject the chip slightly off the midline to avoid the major acupuncture meridians (some experts have suggested that the chip can cause an energy blockage), and I give a dose of homeopathic Ledum 30c afterward. One of my cats developed a sterile abscess after being chipped, a 2" welt that ran from his shoulder to halfway down his front leg. So that's why the Ledum; and I've never had a problem since. 

Cheers,
Dr. Jean


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