Hello and welcome to blog post (4️⃣/4️⃣) about cat collars! Do you have some catching up to do, or are you all up to date? Either way, read on!
Different types of cat collars:
Also known as 'elastic' collars, stretch collars take after breakaway collars in that safety comes first. Unfortunately, though, stretch collars are not as effective in maintaining this. Usually perceived as 'extendable' due to an extra band of added elastic, stretch collars are designed as such so that your cat can quickly and easily escape from any situation where its collar is caught or snagged on anything. However, it's been quite a common occurrence for this design feature to backfire, as any part of your cat's body (e.g. one of their legs) could get stuck between their collar and their neck, due to the extra space that the elastic panel generates. Because of this, stretch collars are far from the safest kind [of collar] on the market, and, therefore, we greatly recommend a breakaway collar over a stretch one.
A flea collar, unsurprisingly, is marketed and distributed with the intention of catching, killing and preventing the spread of fleas, ticks, other pests - and their eggs - on your pet, and from your pet to any other living thing. Flea collars come packaged in protective plastic, and contain a chemical on their surface and integrated within them, that repels pests. They are semi-permanent, and usually need replacing every two-to-four months. In addition to this, they are toxic to humans, so you should always wash your hands before and after handling one, and try not to touch it when it's on your cat. Flea collars aren't usually marketed to dogs, who don't tend to wear their collars all of the time. They're usually marketed to cats, who typically do wear their collars all of the time. Flea collars are favoured due to their relatively low price and ease of application and wear. However, they're not the most effective product on the market, as it has been noted that oftentimes flea collars only target the fleas and ticks around the head and neck area of a cat, leaving other areas vulnerable and exposed. In addition to this, if a flea collar is only most effective around the head and neck areas, this gives free reign for fleas, ticks and other pests to lay their eggs on any other areas of your cat, allowing time and circumstances for the eggs to hatch and for the cycle to start all over again. Lastly, flea collars can actually cause an adverse reaction in cats, as the chemicals used can irritate the fur or skin of a cat, causing itching, redness or discolouration, a rash, or some combination of the afore-mentioned. If you notice a reaction like this in your cat within the area a flea collar has been, immediately remove the flea collar and dispose of it safely, remembering to wash your hands before and after touching it. If symptoms persist, it's best to consult a vet as your cat may need some short-term medication to reverse the effects. Due to this, we definitely don't recommend a flea collar. In this instance it is worth spending more money on treatment that really does work. We suggest talking to your vet about what they would recommend, and proceeding from then on.
Thanks for sticking with us! Check out our published blog posts for parts 1️⃣-3️⃣ of this series! Happy cat collar safety September from all of us at Kitty Café HQ!