Should I put a collar on my indoor cat
I have a very strictly indoor cat, that has tried to dart outside a couple of times and sometimes succeeded, only making it to the edge of our patio before we caught him. My absolute worst nightmare is him getting lost. We have him microchipped and stamped. Should we have an ID tag on a collar for him too? If so, how can I get him warmed up to the idea of having a collar?
I am also going to add that he has been neutered
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You have a microchip, so presumably you live in a part of the world were it is reasonable to expect a lost cat will be scanned, by either the local vet or rescue. Only you can decide if a collar is appropriate for your cat.
Putting a collar on a cat has risks. see Collar Hazards & Cat Collar Injury (a couple random picks from google there are lots more)
Cats are territorial and not likely to run off and get lost ref, Dogs on the other hand do get lost and a collar can help them find a ride home.
Personally I think, the risks of adding a collar to cat who is always indoors and micro chipped are greater then the risk of the cat getting lost and not finding a ride home.
You don't say if your cat has been altered. If he is not neutered, I would get that done which should decrease the desire to go out. If spay/neuter alone does not alter the behavior I would look for other ways to modify the desire. An indoor house pet (of any species) who suddenly finds themselves outside alone, is going to have significantly more dangers then just finding their way home.
Yes, you should put an orange collar on your strictly-indoor cat to mark him as an escaped convict. Check out The Kitty Convict Project
While having your kitty micro chipped is awesome, many lost kitties never get reported or brought in to the shelter to be scanned as outdoor cats are so common.
While this project is still catching on, the orange collar will help indicate that your kitty isn't supposed to be outside. You can even add small tags or embroidery on the collar so your neighbors can return her without having to go get his chip scanned.
If you do decide to get her a collar, please ensure it's a breakaway safety collar.
I'd try initially applying the collar during an extended petting session, while the cat is effectively sedated... Just tried an around-the-neck grip on both of mine, who are curled up on me, and I think I could get away with it as long as I continued the massage thereafter. Not sure how they would react upon waking, though further distracting with a treat might distract them long enough to get past the initial surprise.
Then again, I've always deliberately gotten cats used to having paws handled and similar indignities precisely so they'll trust me on other things.
We have tried putting harnesses on our cats, then immediately taking them outside on a lead.
That way they are excited about getting to see what's out there and not really paying any attention to lead/harness.
After a couple of minutes, we bring them back in and take their leads off, leaving them with their harnesses on for extended periods of time so that they can get used to them
Personal opinion really is the answer to this question, but you have done the responsible thing and had the cat microchipped, which would be the first thing a vet or rescue centre would check. I have worked in a rescue centre for a number of years, and have seen some horrific injuries sustained to cats because of collars, ranging from dislocated forelimbs, split open armpits, jaw injuries and fatalities. I personally do not agree with using them, as these risks, though small, can have severe consequences for the cat in an accident, yet a microchip will always be looked for if the cat is found as lost.
I always advise people if they choose to put a collar on their cat to go for a loose 'quick release' buckled collar, so if any kind of accident occurs, the collar will simply snap off if the cat struggles, keeping it safe.
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