I have a number of collars for my girl and each one has been strongly vetoed by her. We’ve had her since she was a kitten and she’s never been okay with wearing them haha
One time my cat had to wear this onesie because she had a surgery and it was the cone alternative and she did this for an ENTIRE WEEK 😂 I was so pleasantly surprised she was “able” to use the litter box 😂
Both mine look like their gonna strangle themselves trying to get them off. One seemed to make peace with it for about minute but then she nearly hung herself in backyard cause she thought "ill get this off using this top wooden fence post totally gonna work"... so that was the end of that. Edit: spelling
Mine got out of his three days back and I still don’t know where it fell. Indoor kitty so it’s somewhere in the house. In the meantime I’ve switched to calling him “my nangu(naked in Hindi) boi.
Yes one of mine not only figured out how to remove hers by biting the breakaway piece, but also removed everyone else's collars. They got ear tattoos instead because chipping isn't really a thing a lot of people do around here so it's unlikely they'd get scanned if they got out, but an ear tattoo is a visible "this is a housecat" signal.
When I was a kid I had a cat that, the moment we put any sort of collar on her, would find something to catch it on so she could back out of it. And one of mine had such delicate skin that if I put a collar on him he ended up with a bald irritated ring around his neck from it. I've kinda given up on collars.
Yeah, growing up with cats, some will tolerate, some will not. The cat I have now has a breakaway collar with a bell/tag and he was also microchipped at the shelter I adopted him from. He seems to like his collar - we take it off to brush him, and he’ll meow at us if we forget to put it back on him.
My cat hates them
https://preview.redd.it/02odil7ll3ia1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e733d936628dc1a7ce404a461cdb1068059002d6
Bubbles wears a harness
My siamese also uses a harness. It took like a week to learn how to walk with it but now she nips at anyone but me when they try to remove the harness. It's an open harness though she can still easily reach and clean herself
Mine have harnesses for when they go outside (supervised) and one has a leash attached because she’s more like to zoom off and it give me something to dive for if she does, there’s nothing in the part of the yard they’re allowed in for it to be caught on and both me and the dog are always watching them closely, the other is so generally scared of outside and will come out because of FOMO, then immediately yell at the back door to go back in
Always a good idea if your cats are on the ground floor or have a possible escape route. If they escape and get lost they can be identified and returned via a tag.
Shit I live on the 2nd floor of an apartment with a closed general entry and my cats are still breakaway collared up (chipped too). I’m about to move to a 3rd floor at a building with an open entry hallway and even on the 3rd floor I’m nervous 😩😩
I have 4 indoor cats, but only one wears a collar (break away). He has really good ninja skills and will sneak out the door. The bell ringing helps me find him.
My cat isn’t a flight risk but she’s a scavenger and will get into anything she thinks is food. She has a small metal tag on her collar with her name and my phone number engraved into it and I can hear it clink against things when she’s getting into mischief.
This is why my cat has one, bell, council tag etc. He is indoor but he thinks he belongs in the wild and will take any chance to get his freedom. His tag states that if he’s out it’s because he’s escaped.
I keep all three of my cats collared and one of them very much enjoys being naked but doesn't try to get the collar off once it's on. The other two come back to me for me to put the collar back on when I have to take it off. I keep them collared for the extra defense if they get out somehow.
One of my cats enjoyed purposely taking it off then *bringing it to me* to put it back on. We don’t do collars anymore. They are microchipped indoor cats
Idk why, but when I read that I immediately pictured a girl who lost her kitty wearing its collar as a bracelet to still keep them close. 
Yup. It was his "dress collar" -- made out of a baseball, and he liked to watch baseball with me. I wear it sometimes. Still miss him, he passed last February.
Awwww that is so sweet! And a gorgeous collar as well! I’m so sorry for your loss. Thank you for opening your heart and loving him so much. I hope your pain eases soon.
Same. My cats are sneaky as hell, so we like having the traceable jingle of their bells. My oldest was collarless for a long time, but since we just decided to replace the other two he's joined in on the fun. He's "thrilled" 🤣
Neither of my cats wear a collar. They are 100% indoor and have no interest in trying to get outside. I don’t think a collar would be necessary in my case.
Same. And honestly I'd be so effing annoyed by my necklace constantly ringing with every move I make, I wouldn't be able to put my cats through that, who are way more sensitive to sounds than I am
People often have a problem with cats being left to roam cus they can be hit by a car, kill wildlife they don’t need to, be attacked by wildlife (friend lost a young cat to a fox) and be tortured by random assholes.
In the yard/back garden is seen as awesome if netted/catio or you catproof the fences with those roll bars.
Oh yes, that’s what I meant :) I hate when owners let their cats roam free in the streets, totally unsafe, would give me major anxiety wondering if they’d ever come back. In the yard I feel like it’s good for them to get some fresh air, assuming they cannot escape and you’re checking on them often
We covered our garden in bird netting (was ugly but we got used to it). Our kitties adore it so it was 100% worth it. Made the mistake of not stopping friend when she described the state her kitten was in after it’s run in with a fox and honestly I think I’m more scarred by that than she is!
Yeah this my setup too. Kitty knows she’s going out when she gets her breakaway collar and knows she’s home when we take it off.
Plus… the there’s no matted fur and crazy itchy spot from where a collar is constantly on.
Essential. Breakaways for safety. Tags with info and phone numbers.
We have indoor only cats, but if one escapes, I want it to be easy to reunite us. Not everyone is gunna take a cat to a vet to scan for a microchip.
Our previous cat was an escape artist who liked to bolt outside and also enjoyed hiding inside the house. Her collar gave me peace of mind if she did get outside and the little bell was helpful for finding her when she was hiding indoors and also let me know when she was sneaking up on the outside door, planning to dash through when I opened it. Our current kitty is happier with her indoor life than her predecessor and is microchipped but I keep a collar on her anyway because, eh, why not?
Edit: spelling and clarity
I gave mine a collar that easily opens up (so no danger in strangling and I dont need to worry) because she always likes to run out so I ordered her a tag. I just dont like bells on collars because my senior is not very active but the bell already pissed me off after 30 minutes and I dont wanna know how pissed she was with a permanent ringing in her ear!
I have two identical looking black cats who wear different coloured collars, mainly so other people can tell them apart. They're also reflective so that if God forbid they ever get out at night, they'll be easier to spot in the dark.
If they looked very different from each other or were lighter coloured then I probably wouldn't bother.
I put a collar w name and my phone number on my two year old street cat. He can't go outside as he has feline AIDS. Never had a problem with the collar and he's never tried to get out. He knows a five star hotel when he lays on it.
I've thought about this and I guess my issue is that if my indoor cat escapes and a neighbour finds him, I'm going to get him back much quicker by my neighbour calling my number which is on his collar versus my neighbour having to take him to a vet to get his chip scanned etc. I think the collar route is much less stressful for me, the neighbour and the cat!
Where I live people rarely even chip their cats so even if you chip yours there isn't a high chance you will get it back.
A collar is an inmediate "this cat has an owner" sign
A lot of people don’t know that microchips are a thing for cats and therefore don’t go to a vet to have them checked. Microchips are great but collars are a more immediate indicator that a cat has an owner. Getting both is best.
my cats hate them but i think they’re good, some cats get annoyed by the bells so i’d take the bell off if they don’t like the bell, and i’d always get ones with the safety buckle thing where it comes off in case
My chonker Angel (right) doesn’t wear a collar, but my skinny girl Persephone (left) has one with a bell so we can hear her before she attacks. My skinny girl is also my evil girl.
https://preview.redd.it/7324yu0g83ia1.jpeg?width=1024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8a74831611acff0615b2fd31a4a50b73a86e0a6b
I always had breakaway collars on my cats when they were younger and then when my one boy cat, who, BTW, looked exactly like yours when he was a bay-bay, was about 5, I realized the collar had rubbed all his fur off that part of his neck so I took it off so it could grow back. It never did! He’s 14 now and still has a little bald ring around his neck. The vet said he just has really sensitive skin. I’m glad he’s an indoor only cat and doesn’t need a collar but definitely keep that in mind, I felt so bad.
I definitely recommend the breakaway collars they have. It helps if the cat gets in a tight situation.
I do like having the bells so I know where they are, but also if they get out nature is a little more protected. (all my cats are indoor).
As long as it does not distress the cat. I do have one that essentially bucks like a bronco if you put a collar on him so I just gave up since he would not adjust to it. The other cats don't mind their collars. DO make sure they fit correctly and are not too snug.
My cat is black, she needs a little collar on so I can hear her and sometimes see her a little better. She sometimes sleeps like she’s dead, and the only thing I’ll see if her reflective purple collar move up and down ever so slightly, which assures me she’s breathing and not actually dead.
It really doesn't matter what I think. No matter how many times I tell her that she looks fabulous etc, my cat is not a fan. I'm lucky if a collar stays on for five minutes
Collars are extremely important. My best friend's old cat got out once without a collar and someone found her and brought her to the vet claiming that they took her in as a stray and wanted to get her fixed. The vet didn't check for a chip until after they sedated the cat and shaved her when they noticed the tattoo mark that indicated she was already fixed.
I did have a cat who's skin would get very irritated by the generic nylon collars, so I found him an all cotton one. I would recommend that option for anyone who has a cat and notices problems near the collar, I don't know if they make breakaway ones, as the one I got him didn't, but he thankfully never got into a situation where it was necessary.
My current baby hates when his collar is off, which is usually a result of it being hooked on something and it breakaways. That usually causes him to freak out like it's a snake, and then once I pick it up and he sniffs it he wants it back on lol When I upgraded him from a kitten collar to an adult collar, he freaked out for being naked for barely a min while I switched the tags lol
My kitty wears a red bandana and is chipped. I want to make a label with our contact info that can be sewn into the bandana. But I feel the bandana is nice because with social media being so prevalent I feel like someone seeing a cat in a red bandana will stick in their minds more than a cat wearing a collar they may or may not see. I think in the event that he were to get out I’d get more responses from “has anyone seen a cat in a red bandana??” I live in a pretty populated suburb so I’d really be relying on word of mouth through my Facebook groups to find him quickly. I wish i could start a movement where all house cats wore bandanas, that way if someone a bandana cat outside they’d know he’s not supposed to be and seek ways to report it. It’s so hard with so many outdoor one to know if you should be concerned when you see one! Especially because collars on outdoor cats is common!
https://preview.redd.it/l5af5zk057ia1.png?width=1973&format=png&auto=webp&s=21da305176a66ae06e0a9e7d54ece6ebebce5566
Picture of him, in his bandana, guarding the out of service Roomba.
I prefer cats naked, but collars with ID tags (and microchips) are necessary. None of mine have minded. In my experience, Beastie Bands are the best. They’re made of neoprene, very light, super soft, and flexible. Comfortable for the kitty, and inexpensive.
Do you mean the ID lays flat on the band? That must be nicer for the cat. I always have tags that hang. They don’t seem to mind but some of them come with big jump rings that can make trouble. Where do you get a tag like that as how does it attach?
My cat plays in the courtyard of my apt, I check on him a lot, but the collar is necessary so people know he has a home and I have an AirTag so that I can track him.
Also, I put it on him when he stays with my mom or someone while I’m out of town bc they have let him out on accident and I have an easier time catching him than others
I take it off inside always though
I tried collars for my darling Nova when she was a kitten. I must have put them on too loose, because every time I came home from work, that collar would be on the floor somewhere. I finally gave up on collars for her, since she is microchipped, and she never attempts to exit out the front door. But yes, breakaway collars are okay in my book.
They are fine once they have an emergency release clasp on them incase cat gets caught in something. You also need to be willing to buy a new one every week lol. One of my cats has had one for months, my other cat can't keep one for a day so he doesnt wear one. I think it's more just show strangers that they have home as you know how cats wonder.
My kitten wasn’t so keen on a collar with a bell. Then we took in my Dad’s cat and now they both hover by the door when the dogs go outside. I ended up getting breakaway collars that hold an AirTag for both of them and took the bells off. Each of them have gotten out of their collars once, but have been good with wearing them.
My cat hates them and takes it off. No regret at all too. I think they are fine especially if they get out and you either have a tag on it or if you have a tracker on it that can track where they are.
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Our boy, who is indoor only and is an only child, has a lovely leather one I got on Etsy. I think he looks so handsome in it but I can tell it bugs him ever so often. So he only wears it on special occasions or when he goes out of the house (exclusively the vet or kitty hotel).
I have one with a tracker on my baby because she escapes so often. She once got lost in the woods, which was right next door to my house. She’s not the brightest. It is a break away collar and I’m using it until I can get the money to chip her.
All 3 of my indoor cats have collars with tags in case they get out. Just make sure it’s a breakaway collar so if they catch it on something they don’t choke themselves trying to get out.
Putting an Air tag on my two cats collars has kept me from potentially losing one of them on 5 separate occasions, sometimes they run out the door ass soon as I open it and don’t realize it. They’re only 25$ and it’s paid for it’s self again and again
[my little guy](https://i.imgur.com/UMfmevi.jpg)
Mine doesn't mind, thank goodness.
He also has rabbies shot info and my cell number printed on the tag so I can be reached if he's lost.
Three of our five cats wear collars and are fine! None of them go outside but are inside cats.
However, should any of the collared ones happen to sneak out and get lost, their collars have Home Again tags that say they are chipped so we can get them back again. The other two have no desire to even look outside. Yes, so strange, but they are happy lil kitty freaks that love being inside, warm and protected—and one is a feral Mama cat that I rescued! Go figure!
Absolutely necessary, with an ID tag, even for indoor-only cats. If your cat escapes/gets lost, the collar and ID tag at least marginally improve your chances of getting your cat back. Most people will look for an ID tag before thinking about a microchip.
Make sure they’re break away, and they actually break away. I had a kitten hang himself from a coat rack when I was at work one day, poor little guy. Ever since, I don’t put collars on my cats
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I won’t put one on but my cats don’t seem to care. 🤷🏻♂️
If your cat escapes often, then this would be a good idea. For my cats, I only put their collars on if I’m letting them outside so if someone finds them they know that the cat has an owner. I recommend putting the collar on only if the cat is out of the house just in case.
Both of our indoor kitties wear one.. they're voids so at night the bell is our warning that one of em is near. Plus when they were smaller it was the only way to tell em apart! Lol...
Tl;Dr it's not natural and cats don't like them and sometimes they're unnecessary but it has benefits you gotta weigh up against it's discomfort - benefits that depend on your pets lifestyle and territory.
Whenever my cat goes out, we put a tracking collar on her, or if it's charging, at least a collar with our number/address on it.
When we settle down for the night, collar goes on charge and she can sleep unhindered.
She doesn't always like having it put on - it bothers her when she's trying to curl up and tuck her head in, and we think it bothers her when she lands from a big jump. But we make sure it's loose enough not to hurt her, but it has to be tight enough not to be pulled over her ears. She is a Siamese and we don't have a cat flap (our doors aren't suited) so we let her out when she asks (and a cat doorbell to let her in again), and always put the collar on first, as we have lost her once before and our biggest fear is losing her again, from a car, wandering too far, or being catnapped (a problem for pedigree breeds, though she is spayed).
She prefers being without the collar, but she tolerates it because it's her ticket to go out.
In my opinion if a cat doesn't need a collar then it shouldn't have one. My besties cat had a collar too tight for too many years as a kitten and it caused permanent hair loss in a ring around it's neck. Collars can be dangerous and uncomfortable,and can snag on things outside, but we have to weigh that up with the benefits of a collar - it signifies to strangers that the cat is owned, tracking collars are obviously useful, and if the cat goes missing there's a greater chance of getting them back again if the collar has owners info on it. Collars with bells also protect local wildlife from being hunted as it makes the cat easily detectable.
I hate that the collar is uncomfortable for my cat, but she is too precious to let her out without it. We take it off when she comes in for an extended period of time.
My indoor cats have collars with bells because then sneaky cats be scaring me. Also the tortie often is underfoot and I’ve stepped on her in the dark before (she follows me everywhere).
Collar yes. Even though my cat is indoor, her collar is yellow/reflective and has her name, "I'm Lost!" and my phone number on it in case she gets out. No bell though. I always cut those off; I feel like they annoy the cat. It would drive me crazy to wear a bell all day and my ears are nowhere near as sensitive
I like them. My kitties are microchipped, but if they get lost and some random person finds them in the street, I’d rather they could just read my phone number off the collar.
https://preview.redd.it/pr2vv9crj7ia1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3a59e69621bdcc8c8f21647fff093ab27ff40968
My baby is harnessed AND collared
Love it. I usually get some with ornaments on it, a name tag, home address, the whole shebang. Got one made of expensive leather. It feels good on the skin.
My cat hates it though so it's usually just me alone wearing it.
I’m terrified to put a collar on my cat because we tried when she was a kitten and it was meant to be a breakaway collar but it somehow got into her mouth and basically gaged her. My mom and I couldn’t get it off so we had to resort to scissors which was scary. She’s fine now and she’s perfectly healthy but if we weren’t home, she could’ve died.
It might be dangerous. Just like u/llubens, I had one of my cats almost get chocked by a collar.
Cats like also like small spaces and climbing places. You might not notice, but there might be stuff that the collar could get stuck on. If the cat goes outdoors "at the street", it's even worse.
For that reason there are "cat-specific" collars with safety locks which you can easily open if the cat gets stuck or anything like that. But will you be watching the cat 24/7?
Of course, people will say "I've had my cats using collars for 10 years and nothing ever happened". But that is a silly argument and proves nothing.
Of course you can get your cats collars IF they are not bothered by it... Some cats will be mad and struggle a lot to get if off, then it's not cool at all to get the cat stressed out just to satisfy your desires. But other cats won't be bothered so ... your call. Just know there are risks.
"Oh, but people might find him and think he's homeless if there is no collar." Or they might just see it's a beautiful, healthy chonky cat and leave it alone. Also ... Having a collar doesn't mean they'll be safe from bad people that might steal them.
So there's no clear "best answer" here. Just know the collar is not a totally safe thing. And if the cat lives exclusively indoors, there's no reason to use it besides your own desire of seeing them using it.
Just PLEASE don't use those bell things on the collars. They are much more sensitive to noise than we are. And having a bell thing ringing 24/7 next to your years is not cool.
I see where you're coming from and I can agree with that.
I failed to get that perspective because where I live everyone I know that have cats live in apartment buildings, so there's "no way" for the cat to run away.
It doesn't change the mentioned small risk of choking/getting stuck, of course. But again, it's maybe a price to pay to have that extra safety for that situations where the cat might run away. And yeah, if the cat is now bothered by using it, ok.
Thanks for your input.
Good if they go outdoors. For purposes of bells to alert birds (populations being decimated by outdoor cats) and identification Not really needed and restrictive if they are indoors only.
Both of mine are chipped. Maine Coon was declawed, so she’s collared and doesn’t go out much. Calico has all her claws and no collar so as not to get caught on something outside.
Never, ever, ever on a growing cat, even the so-called breakaway ones. In rescue I’ve seen adult cats suffering horribly because they somehow got lost as a young cat while wearing a collar. 😞 I frankly don’t like them at all. Definitely microchip.
Just don’t put bells on them! Just a little empathy would tell you how awful that must be for them …
And collar or no collar, still make sure they’re microchipped and the details are up to date!
Don't use them unless you're prepared to find your dead cat hanged by its collar to some random tree or fence. Breakaway collars exists, yes, but that also means the cat can remove it anytime they want and they will. Making the whole thing pointless in the first place.
Use a cat-harness instead if you somehow really need to attach your cat or want the extra peace of mind when they get out and most importantly get your cat chipped in case it ever runs away from home gets found by someone.
As long as the cat is not bothered by them, go for it. Both my indoor kitties wear collars and let them be put on.
I have one in a collar one without because the second cat just drags herself across the ground like she can’t walk 😂
I have a number of collars for my girl and each one has been strongly vetoed by her. We’ve had her since she was a kitten and she’s never been okay with wearing them haha
My cat becomes a slug when I put a collar around her neck. She like army crawls and rolls around like I’ve just cut off her feet lol.
One time my cat had to wear this onesie because she had a surgery and it was the cone alternative and she did this for an ENTIRE WEEK 😂 I was so pleasantly surprised she was “able” to use the litter box 😂
Both mine look like their gonna strangle themselves trying to get them off. One seemed to make peace with it for about minute but then she nearly hung herself in backyard cause she thought "ill get this off using this top wooden fence post totally gonna work"... so that was the end of that. Edit: spelling
Sooo dramatic!
Collared and chipped is the safest bet.
As long as they’re break away collars in case the collar gets caught on something while the cat is jumping.
This is important. Every so often I will find one of my cat's collar that got caught on something.
Mine got out of his three days back and I still don’t know where it fell. Indoor kitty so it’s somewhere in the house. In the meantime I’ve switched to calling him “my nangu(naked in Hindi) boi.
How would you explain the pronunciation to an english speaker? That’s so cute! Is the emphasis on first or last syllable?
Uh.. nung(rhymes with lung)-goo is the best I can explain the pronunciation.
Happy cake day. Are you sure they aren't taking them off? All my cats have figured out how to get out of breakaway collars.
Mine has as well and it’s soo infuriating! I’m scared he will get out of the house and not have it on. It gives me anxiety!
Mine have too.
Now that you mention it, it is always the same cat.
Definitely pulling it off, one of my family’s have figured it out too.
Yes one of mine not only figured out how to remove hers by biting the breakaway piece, but also removed everyone else's collars. They got ear tattoos instead because chipping isn't really a thing a lot of people do around here so it's unlikely they'd get scanned if they got out, but an ear tattoo is a visible "this is a housecat" signal. When I was a kid I had a cat that, the moment we put any sort of collar on her, would find something to catch it on so she could back out of it. And one of mine had such delicate skin that if I put a collar on him he ended up with a bald irritated ring around his neck from it. I've kinda given up on collars.
I gave up on collars as well. All cats that I've owned except one figured out how to get out of collars.
Safest how?
[удалено]
Cheap toy then!😆
Yeah, growing up with cats, some will tolerate, some will not. The cat I have now has a breakaway collar with a bell/tag and he was also microchipped at the shelter I adopted him from. He seems to like his collar - we take it off to brush him, and he’ll meow at us if we forget to put it back on him.
Our cat actually doesn't mind it, I feel lucky
My cat hates them https://preview.redd.it/02odil7ll3ia1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e733d936628dc1a7ce404a461cdb1068059002d6 Bubbles wears a harness
He's always wearing a harness? I would think he would hate that more than a collar?
Makes no sense. I like it, because he used to zoom out the door. Easy to catch
Huh, weird, as long as he doesn't mind it haha
My siamese also uses a harness. It took like a week to learn how to walk with it but now she nips at anyone but me when they try to remove the harness. It's an open harness though she can still easily reach and clean herself
Cats are so weird but glad your baby likes it
Mine have harnesses for when they go outside (supervised) and one has a leash attached because she’s more like to zoom off and it give me something to dive for if she does, there’s nothing in the part of the yard they’re allowed in for it to be caught on and both me and the dog are always watching them closely, the other is so generally scared of outside and will come out because of FOMO, then immediately yell at the back door to go back in
OMG that’s what I need! My cat also hates collars! I’m headed to Amazon STAT!!
He lost many. He likes looking cool in his vest
Always a good idea if your cats are on the ground floor or have a possible escape route. If they escape and get lost they can be identified and returned via a tag.
Shit I live on the 2nd floor of an apartment with a closed general entry and my cats are still breakaway collared up (chipped too). I’m about to move to a 3rd floor at a building with an open entry hallway and even on the 3rd floor I’m nervous 😩😩
I have 4 indoor cats, but only one wears a collar (break away). He has really good ninja skills and will sneak out the door. The bell ringing helps me find him.
My cat isn’t a flight risk but she’s a scavenger and will get into anything she thinks is food. She has a small metal tag on her collar with her name and my phone number engraved into it and I can hear it clink against things when she’s getting into mischief.
This is why my cat has one, bell, council tag etc. He is indoor but he thinks he belongs in the wild and will take any chance to get his freedom. His tag states that if he’s out it’s because he’s escaped.
I keep all three of my cats collared and one of them very much enjoys being naked but doesn't try to get the collar off once it's on. The other two come back to me for me to put the collar back on when I have to take it off. I keep them collared for the extra defense if they get out somehow.
One of my cats enjoyed purposely taking it off then *bringing it to me* to put it back on. We don’t do collars anymore. They are microchipped indoor cats
"naked" XD
They don’t fit me…
Me either. The chafing is no fun.
They fit as a bracelet!
Idk why, but when I read that I immediately pictured a girl who lost her kitty wearing its collar as a bracelet to still keep them close. 
Yup. It was his "dress collar" -- made out of a baseball, and he liked to watch baseball with me. I wear it sometimes. Still miss him, he passed last February.
https://preview.redd.it/9jayar5v54ia1.jpeg?width=2685&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=252ab4bac1265c6bb00d43977a09b7de1e15cd38
Awwww that is so sweet! And a gorgeous collar as well! I’m so sorry for your loss. Thank you for opening your heart and loving him so much. I hope your pain eases soon.
We have breakaways for our 4 indoor cats. They don’t mind them. The reason they have them is for the jingle bell so we know where they’re at.
I tried giving my Coffee a collar with a bell but it drove her mad having it constantly making noise. I just took the bell off and left the collar on.
It would drive *us* mad if we left the bell on!
Yes the breakaway is the key part
Until your cat learns they can pull them off…
Yep! Both our indoors also wear breakaways.
Same. My cats are sneaky as hell, so we like having the traceable jingle of their bells. My oldest was collarless for a long time, but since we just decided to replace the other two he's joined in on the fun. He's "thrilled" 🤣
Same. My cat is always getting into trouble so without the collar we wouldn’t be able to find him as easily lol
Same. We all know cats are ninjas so we have to be able to detect them. And mine don’t mind their collars or the bells.
Yes. This.
I don't know about the collar, but your cat looks like he/she is up to something.
he’s always plotting smthn fr
A collar will show your cat has a home if they ever manage to get out.
Neither of my cats wear a collar. They are 100% indoor and have no interest in trying to get outside. I don’t think a collar would be necessary in my case.
Same my cats only rush to the door to greet me when I get home, not to get out
Same here, she only looks at the door but never gets out even if the door is wide open.
Same. And honestly I'd be so effing annoyed by my necklace constantly ringing with every move I make, I wouldn't be able to put my cats through that, who are way more sensitive to sounds than I am
Break away only. I put one on my cat when he goes outside and I take it off when he comes back in. He looses it at least once a month.
Bold of you to say you let your cat outside in this sub
Letting them in the yard is fine as long as you’re doing the routine vet visits and giving flea & tick meds. People really have a problem with it?
People often have a problem with cats being left to roam cus they can be hit by a car, kill wildlife they don’t need to, be attacked by wildlife (friend lost a young cat to a fox) and be tortured by random assholes. In the yard/back garden is seen as awesome if netted/catio or you catproof the fences with those roll bars.
Oh yes, that’s what I meant :) I hate when owners let their cats roam free in the streets, totally unsafe, would give me major anxiety wondering if they’d ever come back. In the yard I feel like it’s good for them to get some fresh air, assuming they cannot escape and you’re checking on them often
We covered our garden in bird netting (was ugly but we got used to it). Our kitties adore it so it was 100% worth it. Made the mistake of not stopping friend when she described the state her kitten was in after it’s run in with a fox and honestly I think I’m more scarred by that than she is!
I once posted in a dog subreddit about my outside dog. Once….
Yeah this my setup too. Kitty knows she’s going out when she gets her breakaway collar and knows she’s home when we take it off. Plus… the there’s no matted fur and crazy itchy spot from where a collar is constantly on.
Essential. Breakaways for safety. Tags with info and phone numbers. We have indoor only cats, but if one escapes, I want it to be easy to reunite us. Not everyone is gunna take a cat to a vet to scan for a microchip.
Our previous cat was an escape artist who liked to bolt outside and also enjoyed hiding inside the house. Her collar gave me peace of mind if she did get outside and the little bell was helpful for finding her when she was hiding indoors and also let me know when she was sneaking up on the outside door, planning to dash through when I opened it. Our current kitty is happier with her indoor life than her predecessor and is microchipped but I keep a collar on her anyway because, eh, why not? Edit: spelling and clarity
I like your Pikachus
hahahaha he likes to sit with them
also consider getting a collar that reflects lights if u have an outdoor cat for incoming cars !!!
I’m ok with them, but my cats hate them.
I gave mine a collar that easily opens up (so no danger in strangling and I dont need to worry) because she always likes to run out so I ordered her a tag. I just dont like bells on collars because my senior is not very active but the bell already pissed me off after 30 minutes and I dont wanna know how pissed she was with a permanent ringing in her ear!
I have two identical looking black cats who wear different coloured collars, mainly so other people can tell them apart. They're also reflective so that if God forbid they ever get out at night, they'll be easier to spot in the dark. If they looked very different from each other or were lighter coloured then I probably wouldn't bother.
I put a collar w name and my phone number on my two year old street cat. He can't go outside as he has feline AIDS. Never had a problem with the collar and he's never tried to get out. He knows a five star hotel when he lays on it.
Mine has no escape routes therefore no collar needed.
Shit happens though. Natural disasters, break-ins, fires, etc. My pets always have a break-away collar.
Get your cat microchipped instead. Doesn’t bother the kitty and can never be lost
I've thought about this and I guess my issue is that if my indoor cat escapes and a neighbour finds him, I'm going to get him back much quicker by my neighbour calling my number which is on his collar versus my neighbour having to take him to a vet to get his chip scanned etc. I think the collar route is much less stressful for me, the neighbour and the cat!
Also, it’s more obvious. If your neighbor sees a cat with a collar they immediately know it’s someone’s pet, you can’t really see a microchip
This is the main reason we have a collar on our kitty. If she escaped and someone sees her with her collar, they'll know she's not a stray.
Where I live people rarely even chip their cats so even if you chip yours there isn't a high chance you will get it back. A collar is an inmediate "this cat has an owner" sign
You can do both!
I do!
A lot of people don’t know that microchips are a thing for cats and therefore don’t go to a vet to have them checked. Microchips are great but collars are a more immediate indicator that a cat has an owner. Getting both is best.
my cats hate them but i think they’re good, some cats get annoyed by the bells so i’d take the bell off if they don’t like the bell, and i’d always get ones with the safety buckle thing where it comes off in case
my cat takes it off within the first 10 minutes
My chonker Angel (right) doesn’t wear a collar, but my skinny girl Persephone (left) has one with a bell so we can hear her before she attacks. My skinny girl is also my evil girl. https://preview.redd.it/7324yu0g83ia1.jpeg?width=1024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8a74831611acff0615b2fd31a4a50b73a86e0a6b
Persephone is a fitting name for her lol!
I wanna squeeze that kitty 😍
Are you planning to put collars on your Pikachu's as well !? 
I always had breakaway collars on my cats when they were younger and then when my one boy cat, who, BTW, looked exactly like yours when he was a bay-bay, was about 5, I realized the collar had rubbed all his fur off that part of his neck so I took it off so it could grow back. It never did! He’s 14 now and still has a little bald ring around his neck. The vet said he just has really sensitive skin. I’m glad he’s an indoor only cat and doesn’t need a collar but definitely keep that in mind, I felt so bad.
I have a seasonal collection for my girls but got too lazy to put them on oops 😬
I definitely recommend the breakaway collars they have. It helps if the cat gets in a tight situation. I do like having the bells so I know where they are, but also if they get out nature is a little more protected. (all my cats are indoor). As long as it does not distress the cat. I do have one that essentially bucks like a bronco if you put a collar on him so I just gave up since he would not adjust to it. The other cats don't mind their collars. DO make sure they fit correctly and are not too snug.
How tight would you say? His is on pretty loose right now cuz i don’t want to make him uncomfortable but I assume too loose isn’t good either
My cat is black, she needs a little collar on so I can hear her and sometimes see her a little better. She sometimes sleeps like she’s dead, and the only thing I’ll see if her reflective purple collar move up and down ever so slightly, which assures me she’s breathing and not actually dead.
It really doesn't matter what I think. No matter how many times I tell her that she looks fabulous etc, my cat is not a fan. I'm lucky if a collar stays on for five minutes
We use them on our cats. We order ones from Amazon that have the cat's name and our phone number on them.
I wanna see all the pikachus in the background behind the cute cat (agree with collars!)
It’s the only way I can keep track of my cat. Without her tags jingling, I can’t hear her try to hunt my dog or stalk my feet. 🙃
They get a little tighter on my neck.
Collars are extremely important. My best friend's old cat got out once without a collar and someone found her and brought her to the vet claiming that they took her in as a stray and wanted to get her fixed. The vet didn't check for a chip until after they sedated the cat and shaved her when they noticed the tattoo mark that indicated she was already fixed. I did have a cat who's skin would get very irritated by the generic nylon collars, so I found him an all cotton one. I would recommend that option for anyone who has a cat and notices problems near the collar, I don't know if they make breakaway ones, as the one I got him didn't, but he thankfully never got into a situation where it was necessary. My current baby hates when his collar is off, which is usually a result of it being hooked on something and it breakaways. That usually causes him to freak out like it's a snake, and then once I pick it up and he sniffs it he wants it back on lol When I upgraded him from a kitten collar to an adult collar, he freaked out for being naked for barely a min while I switched the tags lol
No bells!
I would never put a collar on my cats as it impedes neck scratches.
Led collar for walks at night. Thats it.
My cat has a whole ass collar collection. What can I say, she has a passion for fashion.
My kitty wears a red bandana and is chipped. I want to make a label with our contact info that can be sewn into the bandana. But I feel the bandana is nice because with social media being so prevalent I feel like someone seeing a cat in a red bandana will stick in their minds more than a cat wearing a collar they may or may not see. I think in the event that he were to get out I’d get more responses from “has anyone seen a cat in a red bandana??” I live in a pretty populated suburb so I’d really be relying on word of mouth through my Facebook groups to find him quickly. I wish i could start a movement where all house cats wore bandanas, that way if someone a bandana cat outside they’d know he’s not supposed to be and seek ways to report it. It’s so hard with so many outdoor one to know if you should be concerned when you see one! Especially because collars on outdoor cats is common! https://preview.redd.it/l5af5zk057ia1.png?width=1973&format=png&auto=webp&s=21da305176a66ae06e0a9e7d54ece6ebebce5566 Picture of him, in his bandana, guarding the out of service Roomba.
I prefer cats naked, but collars with ID tags (and microchips) are necessary. None of mine have minded. In my experience, Beastie Bands are the best. They’re made of neoprene, very light, super soft, and flexible. Comfortable for the kitty, and inexpensive.
We do Beastie Bands, too, with the flat ID tag.
Do you mean the ID lays flat on the band? That must be nicer for the cat. I always have tags that hang. They don’t seem to mind but some of them come with big jump rings that can make trouble. Where do you get a tag like that as how does it attach?
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This is exactly why I don’t like them for my kitty. I’m so sorry to hear that happened to yours ☹️☹️☹️☹️
I like them but personally find them in public to be a bit distasteful. Kinks should be left in the bedroom
My cat plays in the courtyard of my apt, I check on him a lot, but the collar is necessary so people know he has a home and I have an AirTag so that I can track him. Also, I put it on him when he stays with my mom or someone while I’m out of town bc they have let him out on accident and I have an easier time catching him than others I take it off inside always though
I've used calming collars before with one of our cats, but at least 2 out of our 4 hate them and will not leave them on.
hmmm i think if you PUT it on then it will... idk put it on
I tried collars for my darling Nova when she was a kitten. I must have put them on too loose, because every time I came home from work, that collar would be on the floor somewhere. I finally gave up on collars for her, since she is microchipped, and she never attempts to exit out the front door. But yes, breakaway collars are okay in my book.
they seem heavy and uncomfortable.
My cats hate them, they refuse to wear them.
They are fine once they have an emergency release clasp on them incase cat gets caught in something. You also need to be willing to buy a new one every week lol. One of my cats has had one for months, my other cat can't keep one for a day so he doesnt wear one. I think it's more just show strangers that they have home as you know how cats wonder.
No
My kitten wasn’t so keen on a collar with a bell. Then we took in my Dad’s cat and now they both hover by the door when the dogs go outside. I ended up getting breakaway collars that hold an AirTag for both of them and took the bells off. Each of them have gotten out of their collars once, but have been good with wearing them.
Harvey has a breakaway but without a bell (he kept trying to chew it off) and is also chipped to be safe
My cat hates them and takes it off. No regret at all too. I think they are fine especially if they get out and you either have a tag on it or if you have a tracker on it that can track where they are. https://preview.redd.it/p0g5ty0hq3ia1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=04998316d1648d03d1c61d364d7e473d187c4a0e
Our boy, who is indoor only and is an only child, has a lovely leather one I got on Etsy. I think he looks so handsome in it but I can tell it bugs him ever so often. So he only wears it on special occasions or when he goes out of the house (exclusively the vet or kitty hotel).
Both of my Ginger boys have a collar. They are 100 percent indoor cats. 🐈🐈
I have a long haired like that and he doesn't mind a collar, but I've found it causes mats after a while
I have one with a tracker on my baby because she escapes so often. She once got lost in the woods, which was right next door to my house. She’s not the brightest. It is a break away collar and I’m using it until I can get the money to chip her.
Breakaways the only way
All 3 of my indoor cats have collars with tags in case they get out. Just make sure it’s a breakaway collar so if they catch it on something they don’t choke themselves trying to get out.
I have 5 cats. 2 willingly wear collars, 2 refuse, and the 5th has long hair that gets tangled from a collar so I don’t bother.
My cats love their collars and don’t like not having them. Also a nice keepsake for later❤️
What a cute cat! Yes for outdoor kitties for sure, either if indoor, no if you are our cats because “What the hell were you thinking, human?!?”
Putting an Air tag on my two cats collars has kept me from potentially losing one of them on 5 separate occasions, sometimes they run out the door ass soon as I open it and don’t realize it. They’re only 25$ and it’s paid for it’s self again and again
chocolate powder has fallen on top of the kitten ahah
My cats are nudists.
[my little guy](https://i.imgur.com/UMfmevi.jpg) Mine doesn't mind, thank goodness. He also has rabbies shot info and my cell number printed on the tag so I can be reached if he's lost.
Three of our five cats wear collars and are fine! None of them go outside but are inside cats. However, should any of the collared ones happen to sneak out and get lost, their collars have Home Again tags that say they are chipped so we can get them back again. The other two have no desire to even look outside. Yes, so strange, but they are happy lil kitty freaks that love being inside, warm and protected—and one is a feral Mama cat that I rescued! Go figure!
Absolutely necessary, with an ID tag, even for indoor-only cats. If your cat escapes/gets lost, the collar and ID tag at least marginally improve your chances of getting your cat back. Most people will look for an ID tag before thinking about a microchip.
Make sure they’re break away, and they actually break away. I had a kitten hang himself from a coat rack when I was at work one day, poor little guy. Ever since, I don’t put collars on my cats
They’re fine, esp if kitty gets away phone / name is on tag. I’m sure someone would like this cutie
My 3 indoor cats haven't ever worn collars. All 3 are chipped.
I don't use them.
What a sassy little kitty, so cute and very unique looking
haha he wants what he wants and he wants it now
So many Pikachu though 🥺
If they're outside cats, they need one, especially if they're friendly/docile. Otherwise your well meaning neighbours will adopt a "neglected cat!"
https://preview.redd.it/rasfjenbvbia1.jpeg?width=6936&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b46c6e8e9762a396ec9b40c8447934ed6fc56fcb I won’t put one on but my cats don’t seem to care. 🤷🏻♂️
If your cat escapes often, then this would be a good idea. For my cats, I only put their collars on if I’m letting them outside so if someone finds them they know that the cat has an owner. I recommend putting the collar on only if the cat is out of the house just in case.
Both of our indoor kitties wear one.. they're voids so at night the bell is our warning that one of em is near. Plus when they were smaller it was the only way to tell em apart! Lol...
They shouldn’t need them unless you’re letting them outside and you shouldn’t be letting them outside because they decimate local ecologies.
Accidents/escapes happen though and tags on the collar are the quickest way to get your cat returned to you.
Tl;Dr it's not natural and cats don't like them and sometimes they're unnecessary but it has benefits you gotta weigh up against it's discomfort - benefits that depend on your pets lifestyle and territory. Whenever my cat goes out, we put a tracking collar on her, or if it's charging, at least a collar with our number/address on it. When we settle down for the night, collar goes on charge and she can sleep unhindered. She doesn't always like having it put on - it bothers her when she's trying to curl up and tuck her head in, and we think it bothers her when she lands from a big jump. But we make sure it's loose enough not to hurt her, but it has to be tight enough not to be pulled over her ears. She is a Siamese and we don't have a cat flap (our doors aren't suited) so we let her out when she asks (and a cat doorbell to let her in again), and always put the collar on first, as we have lost her once before and our biggest fear is losing her again, from a car, wandering too far, or being catnapped (a problem for pedigree breeds, though she is spayed). She prefers being without the collar, but she tolerates it because it's her ticket to go out. In my opinion if a cat doesn't need a collar then it shouldn't have one. My besties cat had a collar too tight for too many years as a kitten and it caused permanent hair loss in a ring around it's neck. Collars can be dangerous and uncomfortable,and can snag on things outside, but we have to weigh that up with the benefits of a collar - it signifies to strangers that the cat is owned, tracking collars are obviously useful, and if the cat goes missing there's a greater chance of getting them back again if the collar has owners info on it. Collars with bells also protect local wildlife from being hunted as it makes the cat easily detectable. I hate that the collar is uncomfortable for my cat, but she is too precious to let her out without it. We take it off when she comes in for an extended period of time.
Mine lose them as soon as I put them on them, so I gave up. Still have no idea how they manage to do it. 
My indoor cats have collars with bells because then sneaky cats be scaring me. Also the tortie often is underfoot and I’ve stepped on her in the dark before (she follows me everywhere).
Both of my cats have collars. They're indoor cats so they need them just in case they escape somehow.
Mine are chipped, collared with a name tag and also an air tag. Overboard? Perhaps, but I want every opportunity to find them if they escape.
Collar yes. Even though my cat is indoor, her collar is yellow/reflective and has her name, "I'm Lost!" and my phone number on it in case she gets out. No bell though. I always cut those off; I feel like they annoy the cat. It would drive me crazy to wear a bell all day and my ears are nowhere near as sensitive
I thought the same thing that’s why i took the bell off too, probably annoying to have that ringing all day even if they don’t show it
I like them. My kitties are microchipped, but if they get lost and some random person finds them in the street, I’d rather they could just read my phone number off the collar.
https://preview.redd.it/pr2vv9crj7ia1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3a59e69621bdcc8c8f21647fff093ab27ff40968 My baby is harnessed AND collared
Unnecessary burden for indoor kitties.
Love it. I usually get some with ornaments on it, a name tag, home address, the whole shebang. Got one made of expensive leather. It feels good on the skin. My cat hates it though so it's usually just me alone wearing it.
I put collars on kittens with a bell so I know where they are. As soon as they’re spayed/neutered & microchipped the collars come off.
I usually try to avoid them in public but sometimes it’s inevitable, so I just ignore them.
I’m terrified to put a collar on my cat because we tried when she was a kitten and it was meant to be a breakaway collar but it somehow got into her mouth and basically gaged her. My mom and I couldn’t get it off so we had to resort to scissors which was scary. She’s fine now and she’s perfectly healthy but if we weren’t home, she could’ve died.
A tip on break away collars. If you have a cat who takes them off bend the prongs to the snap buckle a bit to make it harder for them to pop it off.
They are not needed and cats don't like them.
It might be dangerous. Just like u/llubens, I had one of my cats almost get chocked by a collar. Cats like also like small spaces and climbing places. You might not notice, but there might be stuff that the collar could get stuck on. If the cat goes outdoors "at the street", it's even worse. For that reason there are "cat-specific" collars with safety locks which you can easily open if the cat gets stuck or anything like that. But will you be watching the cat 24/7? Of course, people will say "I've had my cats using collars for 10 years and nothing ever happened". But that is a silly argument and proves nothing. Of course you can get your cats collars IF they are not bothered by it... Some cats will be mad and struggle a lot to get if off, then it's not cool at all to get the cat stressed out just to satisfy your desires. But other cats won't be bothered so ... your call. Just know there are risks. "Oh, but people might find him and think he's homeless if there is no collar." Or they might just see it's a beautiful, healthy chonky cat and leave it alone. Also ... Having a collar doesn't mean they'll be safe from bad people that might steal them. So there's no clear "best answer" here. Just know the collar is not a totally safe thing. And if the cat lives exclusively indoors, there's no reason to use it besides your own desire of seeing them using it. Just PLEASE don't use those bell things on the collars. They are much more sensitive to noise than we are. And having a bell thing ringing 24/7 next to your years is not cool.
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I see where you're coming from and I can agree with that. I failed to get that perspective because where I live everyone I know that have cats live in apartment buildings, so there's "no way" for the cat to run away. It doesn't change the mentioned small risk of choking/getting stuck, of course. But again, it's maybe a price to pay to have that extra safety for that situations where the cat might run away. And yeah, if the cat is now bothered by using it, ok. Thanks for your input.
Good if they go outdoors. For purposes of bells to alert birds (populations being decimated by outdoor cats) and identification Not really needed and restrictive if they are indoors only.
My cat looks really cute in her collar so I like them
Only Karen’s will hate this
It cannot be comfortable
Extremely dangerous. I am strongly against them
Hate them
Both of mine are chipped. Maine Coon was declawed, so she’s collared and doesn’t go out much. Calico has all her claws and no collar so as not to get caught on something outside.
Never, ever, ever on a growing cat, even the so-called breakaway ones. In rescue I’ve seen adult cats suffering horribly because they somehow got lost as a young cat while wearing a collar. 😞 I frankly don’t like them at all. Definitely microchip.
Not needed, and they probably annoy the cat.
Without it an animal catcher will think your cat is a stray and take it. Given how dangerous cats are to the ecosystem, justifiably too.
Just don’t put bells on them! Just a little empathy would tell you how awful that must be for them … And collar or no collar, still make sure they’re microchipped and the details are up to date!
The real question is, how does your *cat* feel about it?
Don't use them unless you're prepared to find your dead cat hanged by its collar to some random tree or fence. Breakaway collars exists, yes, but that also means the cat can remove it anytime they want and they will. Making the whole thing pointless in the first place. Use a cat-harness instead if you somehow really need to attach your cat or want the extra peace of mind when they get out and most importantly get your cat chipped in case it ever runs away from home gets found by someone.