As a dedicated cat-owner, by now you're probably relatively in-the-know that, in life, cats don't need too many 'extras' from us. But what's the one thing that most cats are always seen wearing? That's right, a cat collar! Now, you might not know why that is, and that's okay! It's the done thing, and sometimes we don't know every reason behind everything. But, here at Kitty Café HQ, we have designated September 2021 as the month of cat collar safety. Therefore, this blog post is going to continue throughout the entire month of September, and will clue you in on everything you never knew about cat collars. From safety tips and best practice, to every kind of cat collar currently on the market and available to buy, whether you should or shouldn't buy them, and a whole host of added extras you can use to ensure your cat has the best experience possible, no matter where they are!
Cat collars are safe, sensible and stylish - they make it much more obvious that your cat isn't a stray, make them easier to grab ahold of if they've decided to make a break for it, and provide purchase for attaching any number of afore-mentioned added extras that I'll go into further detail about later on.
You should be able to fit a minimum of between two and three fingers between your cat's collar and its neck. If you can't do this, or struggle to do this, then your cat's collar is too tight, too small, or both. In this instance, the collar will need adjusting, and may even need replacing. Due to their size and rapid rate of growth, cats under six months of age shouldn't wear a collar, so if your cat is between six and twenty-four months of age, they will likely still be growing, and so collars may also need to be replaced accordingly.
Different types of cat collars:
A bell collar, as its name suggests, is a cat collar with a bell on it, usually attached via a small jump ring. Theoretically, you could put a bell on any type of collar to, in turn, make it a bell collar, e.g. a breakaway collar with a bell, a buckle collar with a bell, etc. The purpose of a bell collar is to make it harder for your cat to hunt and potentially kill, injure or harm any wildlife or prey. The bell on their collar jingles as they move and alerts other animals, big or small, of their presence. It's particularly effective in saving birds from an otherwise unsavoury fate. In the wild, cats have always hunted down and eaten birds - so a bell on the collar of a cat gives a bird (or any other creature) some pre-warning that it is being stalked, and gives it some extra time to fly away and escape. We recommend putting a bell onto your cats' collar, especially if they're an outdoors, hybrid or particularly active cat. You may still want to consider adding a bell to your cats' collar, even if they are strictly an indoor cat. You never know if or when your kitty may make a break for it and end up frolicking freely in the outside world, or if at any point a creature could find its way into your home and thus put itself in danger. Putting a bell on your cats' collar also gives you an idea of their whereabouts within your house or garden, if they're prone to getting up to mischief or into trouble!
Thanks for sticking with us! Check back in at the same time next week for part (2️⃣/4️⃣)!