Tips for Buying Safe Cat Collars
If you already own a cat or are thinking about buying one, one of the several things you need to look at is safe cat collars. Because cats are so active and typically love to get into small spaces, it is essential to use the right collar. If not, the collar could easily become hooked on something, causing strangulation or even trapping the cat. We wanted to provide information on what determines a safe collar from one that would be unsafe.
Safe cat collars are designed for your pet to wear all the time. With this, you would have the ability to keep a small bell on the collar to keep track of the cat’s whereabouts but also add tags showing the name, address, and phone number of your pet, his or her shots, and any microchip information. That way, if your cat were to become lost, the collar would be intact with all the necessary tags to bring him/her back home.
Now, if you live in a geographic area where natural disasters happen, such as Kansas and Oklahoma with tornadoes, California with earthquakes, or other areas where flooding is common, safe cat collars are also a great way to keep your pet protected. In times of disaster, buildings can crumble and even collapse, allowing pets to escape. Additionally, if the home were not destroyed but damaged, repair people would be in and out on a regular basis. Therefore, with the right collar, even if your pet were to escape the collar would remain in place.
If you were to look at statistics about pets that do not wear safe cat collars, you would find that the majority are never reunited with their owners. However, when safe collars are worn along with tags, reuniting pet with owner is far more likely. Obviously, you love your cat and want to do everything possible to keep him or her healthy and safe. Considering that safe cat collars are easy to find, available in a variety of sizes, and affordable, it makes perfect sense to purchase one or more.
The best safe cat collars are the breakaway and the collar designed with an elastic panel for stretching. However, of these two, the breakaway is the one most highly recommended. With the breakaway collar, the design includes a plastic latch so if the cat were to become hooked on something, the collar would open and release. Again, this prevents the problem of strangulation or your cat from being trapped in a tight space without being able to get out. Although the elastic collar is also considered safe, because it poses some risk of simply pulling off, the breakaway is recommended.
Along with choosing from the two best safe cat collars available, buying the appropriate size is imperative. Unfortunately, many cat owners simply guess, which creates problems. You want the collar to fit tight enough so it is secure but without being too tight that it chokes the cat or irritates the skin. When buying, it would be worth going to a pet supply store where you can take the cat with you. Then, choose a collar where you can fit two fingers between it and your pet’s neck.
Finally, even if you were to look at safe cat collars you need to be sure to have the appropriate tags on the collar. Obviously, having a collar on your cat would show someone the pet is owned if he or she were to get out of the house. However, unless identification tags are attached to safe cat collars, it would be difficult to reunite the pet with owner unless the cat had a microchip.
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