Should Cats Wear Collars?

Written and verified by the lawyer Francisco María García

Last update: 21 December, 2022

Is giving a cat a collar a good or bad idea? This is one of the most frequent debates among experts and house cat owners. So, in today’s article you can find out about the pros and cons of this interesting accessory.

Cat collars: when to use them

Some doors have a sensor that activates when it detects the device on your cat’s collar. These “smart cat doors” open all by themselves when they pick up the signal.

This is case, giving your cat a collar is a good thing, because it gives him more independence. Now your cat can go outside even when you’re not at home.

Cat doors are also a great way to give cats more freedom. Unfortunately, they don’t make your house any safer.

Giving your cat a collar can also make it easier to identify him. There are microchips too, but you need a magnetic reader to use them and they aren’t common in a lot of cities.

This is a common solution with outdoor cats. If they get lost, someone who finds them can call you right away because of the collar that has tags. Still, it’s not as reliable as a microchip.

Adapting to a collar

Cats are creatures of habit, and they’re obsessed with routines. Giving your cat a collar is a something new for him and he needs time to adapt.

Every animal adapts at its own pace, and everyone knows cats won’t do anything they don’t want to. Be patient and respect your feline friend’s needs.

It’s easiest if you show them how to wear a collar during their first months of life, which is when they have a more flexible personality. You should never use violence to force them to adapt to wearing a collar.

Using cat collars to combat fleas

Cat collars can also be good for preventing and getting rid of fleas. However, some experts say collars aren’t a good way to exterminate these kinds of pests because they can’t spread the insecticide over the cat’s entire body, which means they won’t be very effective.

The contents of those insecticides can also cause allergic reactions, skin irritation, and hair loss. In serious cases, they can even go into a cat’s body and cause to vomiting and diarrhea.

The best and surest way to prevent these kinds of parasites is to use topical products like Frontline, or similar products.

How to choose the best collar for your cat

It’s important to choose the best collar for your house cat. One part of this is looking at how every collar is made and what it’s made out of.

It needs to have proper sewing, so your cat doesn’t get allergies or any wounds from it. It should also be good quality material, and ideally hypoallergenic.

Flexible elastic collars are usually safer, especially for outdoor cats. The flexibility means they can get out of their collar without hurting themselves in case they ever get stuck or trapped.

Cat collars: the dangers of bells

Collars are usually much more comfortable for cats if they don’t have any bells. A lot of cats find them annoying or get nervous when they hear them.

There’s also research being done about the possibility that constant exposure to the sounds of these bells can cause hearing problems. It hasn’t been proven yet, but everyone all knows that cats have very sensitive ears. It’s always better safe than sorry.

Some owners say they use bells, so birds and small animals will hear their cat and stop him from killing them. Still, the effectiveness of this method is still in doubt.

A lot of cats develop new techniques to silently surprise their prey, even with a collar like that. Others will try to tear it off, but they can hurt themselves while doing so.

If you like the way of wearing a collar looks on cats, then really think it over when you’re choosing one. The well-being of our pets should always come first.