# Should my indoor cat wear a collar & I.D. tag?



## Tonka (Jul 1, 2009)

My cat isn't leash trained and I don't think he's worn a collar in his life. He's 4 years old and I'm not sure how he'd take to wearing a collar now. He is completely indoors. Do you think he needs a collar and tag?


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

My cats are all indoor kitties, none of them wear collars. They're microchipped, though.


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## melysion (Mar 12, 2007)

my cat is indoor only. He is microchipped but also has a collar and tag. If he ever gave me the slip and got out people will know instantly that he belongs to someone and his tag provides some important info ... Namely that he should not be out and that he is fiv+. So for me a collar and tag is important. But it all depends on what you feel comfortable doing.


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## OsnobunnieO (Jun 28, 2004)

my cats have all been indoor and have all had collars and tags. honestly, I get so frustrated when we find strays with collars and NO tags more than ones with nothing at all... because you just know they belong to someone, but have no idea who.

Its much easier to get them used to a collar as a kitten, but there are little things you can do to help the process along. putting it on for a few minutes at a time, usually before something distracting like a very special meal, treats or playtime. by the time they are done they've probably stopped thinking about it.

make sure its not too loose though - they can get their jaw stuck in it trying to groom (my bridge kitty Addison had this happen - very scary!)

as for tags, my preference is a name on one side and "I'm Lost!" with a phone number on the other, just so *if* someone was able to get them, they would know they aren't just a wandering outdoor cat.


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## irishgirl982 (Jun 25, 2009)

Our cats have collars and tags, as well as microchips, and they are both indoor.

The theory is, if they slip out accidently, your chances of getting them back are much higher.

We put collars on our cats when they were 1 and 1 1/2. Both of them hated it. The older one would scratch at his neck with his back claws and actually drew blood! The younger one got the collar stuck in her jaw several times before I could convince my roommate that it needed to be on tighter!! 

But now that they've both had them on for a year or so, they have no problems with their collars. Just expect there to be an "adjustment" period  Good luck!


On that note, I'm moving into my own place next month and getting 2 kittens of my own... I'm planning on putting little collars on them, but do you think I should put a tag on? Would the tag be too heavy?


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## OsnobunnieO (Jun 28, 2004)

I'm having the tag problem with Carson right now - she's finally gotten used to the collar but I know the tag will be a bright and shiny play thing for her 

Plus, I don't have one for her yet... 

I should probably order one soon (along with new dragonfly charms!) but I'm still playing the "she's not staying" game with my mom, so I think a collar with my number on it will be hard to explain


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## Mom of 4 (Jul 29, 2006)

My son's cat has collar and tags even though she is strictly indoors only. He rescued her from a parking lot, poor thing.

My two cats and my daughter's cat are chipped and wear collars, no tags. It is very common for cats to be chipped here - the vets, emergency vets and animal control all have chip readers. We can take a cat and have the chip checked at any time for free.

My two cats had a small bell on their collar so I can find them easily. After I gave the girls a bath last weekend, for fleas - uggh, I left their collars off for a few hours. When they were dry, I shook their collars and they came running. I'm not sure if they thought it was an emergency (bells going crazy) or another cat. The girls just sit still while I put their collars on.

My daughter's cat, Harper, used to sit up like a squirrel and try to play with the bell on her collar. It was cute.


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## QuinnCat (Jul 13, 2009)

Both our cats are microchipped, but they both also wear collars, for exactly the reason listed several times above -- if an indoor-only cat gets out, the chances of it being picked up and returned to you are much higher if it wears a collar. A collarless cat may be ignored as just another stray, no matter how fat and well-groomed it might be. 

Neither Quinn nor Minerva were used to wearing collars or tags before they came to us, so I decided that instead of forcing them to acclimate to dangling tags, I would buy personalized collars. Each collar has a safety catch in case the cats get hung up, and they are embroidered with the cat's name, my phone number, and the word "Reward" -- nothing else. To me, this seems like enough information to prompt someone to pick the cat up and possibly even take it somewhere that will check for a microchip.

If you're considering a collar but don't want to subject the kitty to tags, the embroidered safety collar is the way to go. I can share the website I order them from, if anyone is curious


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## Mom of 4 (Jul 29, 2006)

I would like th website, please. TIA.


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## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

I used the embroidered collars for Precious and Blueberry, and they had (and so does Nina) have a metal tag with the necessary info, plus the message, "indoor cat only." My cats aren't allowed outside, but no one is as careful about doors as we are.


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## Tonka (Jul 1, 2009)

Mom of 4 said:


> I would like th website, please. TIA.



Me too, I found a few sites that can do them for $20 or less (including shipping), but if you have a favorite site you recommend, I'd love to have the link. I think the breakaway collars with the embroidered info on them sounds great.


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## QuinnCat (Jul 13, 2009)

Sure -- the website I have used in the past is http://k9collars.com/. I haven't really shopped around to find other options, since I was so pleased with how Quinn's collar came out. It's a Canadian company, so shipping may be a little more than some other stores. Also, they are not dirt-cheap (the breakaway kitty collar is about $18, but you pay more if you want to add extra words, which I have done in order to fit "Reward" on the collars). But they are quite nice, and Quinn's collar has held up very well for a year now.


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