# Keeping collar on!



## Elsbells (Feb 18, 2011)

I have always favoured the snap collars but Tiger cannot keep them on. During every (loosely) supervised trip out (he's only been going out since Mon) he's lost his original snap collar and the spare.

I wouldn't mind but I actually felt the collar's snap mechanism was a bit stiff and wondered if it would work when needed, turns out it's not a problem .

I do want him to wear a collar with ID in the first few weeks while he's new round here, but it's not doing it's job if it doesn't stay on, and I really don't know how he's getting it off. I never see him pull at it, and he's happy to have it put on (doesn't seem to notice it).

I do have a buckle cat collar with elastic insert (and the tag from my last cat which at leats has the phone number on). 

Are they considered safe, still? :confused1:


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## Guest (Mar 1, 2011)

No a buckled collar elasticated or not is a huge danger to a cat specially if he is young and new to exploring outside, safety collar or no collar at all, I never collar my cats (they are indoor cats but even if they went out I still wouldn't collar them) as I have seen the damage a caught collar can do to cat that snagged on a fence as they went under it


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## Shimacat (Feb 14, 2010)

Ditto - can only echo the advice above. I'd never use the elastic-insert collars - far too dangerous. The snap-release ones are the only safe collars for cats to wear. Yours might get used to them eventually, and keep them on - might cost you a bit in collars though


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## buffie (May 31, 2010)

^^^^agree I would not use an elasticated cat collar,there are to many risks with them.If he is managing to pull of the snap ones he is obviously getting them caught somewhere ,making the elastic ones even more likely to be potentially harmful


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## lymorelynn (Oct 4, 2008)

I wouldn't use an elasticated collar, there are just too many dangers of it being caught somewhere. I know it's very frustrating when they keep losing collars though. I gave up with my boy Gizmo in the end as he could lose one within half an hour of putting it on him


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## Melly (Aug 27, 2010)

i have the same problem with Poppy, she HATES collars.

i bought them pretty little pink safety ones with snap buckles, one with hearts, and one with flowers...Pixie isnt bothered by it, but Poppy will do her best to get it off, its covered in teeth marks!

funny thing is i bought a 'kitten' collar from [email protected] as i wondered if the collar was too big and thats how she was managing to bite it and get it off, its slightly smaller, and made of different material, and since then shes not been too bad. 

At the moment we are building up the time they wear it, and only supervised until it doesnt bother them anymore, in preperation of maybe letting them out when the weather gets better. Although they will be microchipped i want them wearing collars too, its too easy for someone to look, see no collar, and assume they are homeless.


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## Elsbells (Feb 18, 2011)

Melly said:


> Although they will be microchipped i want them wearing collars too, its too easy for someone to look, see no collar, and assume they are homeless.


Yes, this is my thinking too (although his tummy doesn't exactly scream 'scrawny underfed stray'), he is a rescue stray from CP so although he's chipped I'm concerned he may wander further having been homeless in the past.

Off to [email protected] to feel some more collars of the snap variety (I'm terrible for insisting it's a very soft comfortable velvety one!).

It's a pity they don't do them in multi packs


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## oliviarussian (Sep 2, 2010)

My last cat used to regularly take off his snap fastener collar every time he wanted to wash his head and neck! he would slip his jaw down and get it in his mouth and just then pull until it snapped open, when he had finished his grooming he would then happily let me put it on again... until his next wash 

Sounds like your cat has learnt how to open it all by himself


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## Paddypaws (May 4, 2010)

I too am very particular about cat collars and tags....and the combination I am using for the kittens costs about £11....so when Mitzy was getting through one a week for a while I was somewhat unhappy!
What I did was buy some very fine elastic thread and make what I would call the equivalent of a guard chain as you would have on a bracelet or dress watch. She has come home several times with the snap fastening opened and the collar dangling loosely around her neck, but the 'guard' has kept it in place well enough for her not to lose it.


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## Melly (Aug 27, 2010)

now that sounds a great idea! how did you fasten the elastic thread to the collar?

Elsbells - see, Poppy has that 'well fed' look about her, LOL, but Pixie looks 'slim'. She doesnt eat a great deal, despite us varying the food they get and there being food always down for them...fussy mare! :lol: so it would be easy for her to lose a collar and someone assume shes stray


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