The cat acccesories:Collar

Which kind of accessories do you like to use with your cats?

Well, one of the most common would be a collar and aside from aesthetics, the collars actually have several different kinds of uses. A tag for example might be attached to the collar to help identify the cat if it gets lost or injured. The identity tag could be a simple engraved disc or a screw-topped cylinder containing a roll of paper containing the cat's name, owner's address and telephone number etc.

Sometimes the collar may have a magnetic tag which give it exclusive entry to it's cat flap. This is a solution I use myself in my home to stop foreign visitors from sneaking in!

Most collars also come with a bell which rings when the cat moves and will help reduce the amount of dead birds and other animals which would otherwise be hunting targets for your cat. Some collars even offer some anti-flea substances but these must be used with some caution as sometimes your cat can be allergic to them and become very irritated with the collar. Should you choose to use this flea collar, then it should be the exclusive form of flea control. Do not combine flea collars with other flea control substances.

Some aspects of the collar are negative, the main being that if they are worn continuously, then they will start to damage the fur around the neck of your cat. This is especially true for long-haired cats. Secondly, there is always a fear that a collar can become caught and even strangle your cat in the process. This is a real possibility if your cat loves to hunt in the trees or bushes. It really depends on what kind of collar you choose to use.

Collars could be made out of soft leather, suede or soft fabric with some elastic inserts, but having too much stretch only means easy uncoupling from the collar which defeats the point of buying one. The ideal collar should be adjusted so that it can slip over the cat's head in an emergency but not so loose that it allows the front leg to slip through the collar and lodge under the armpit. This is of course very dangerous.