[catnapt]

:shock:

is there any way to get a cat to wear a collar when the do not want to?



i could get the old guys to wear one but they don't need one

but my 5yr old really could use one and she refuses to keep it on

(she is microchipped but there are so many strays in this area, if a cat is out with no collar they are assumed to be a stray)

any suggestions?

is it unsafe for them to wear a harness all the time, or at least til they get used to the idea that the collar is gonna stay on???


if i put a collar on her, she gets one foot stuck in it up by her neck and goes limping about trying to hide from me!!

once she got her entire leg in it!

eeep

 

[CatLover]

What kind of collar did you use? I use leather collars for my two.(currently, they've outgrown them, so I need to buy new ones) HOWEVER, my two are strictly indoors. If they are that rebelliant, don't do it all imediantly. Put the collar on for a few hours, take it off, then gradually keep it on longer. I don't know if it works, but another member on here posted something like that. I wish I could find the thread! They have allot of helpful info on it. Make sure it's tight, but not too tight, loose enough without being able to stick a foot in it. Some cats just won't wear a collar, though.

 

[Wayne]

I recently bought a collar for Chrissie, he, as usual, did not fight it. Also, I had intentions of keeping it on him, which I did for about a month. Only once did he get his front leg in the collar. I eventually took it off of him. I have some cats who will fight you every inch of the way when it comes to placing something on them, even a flea collar. It all depends on the nature of the cat. If a cat doesn't like what you place on them, the best thing to do is to try to get it on them and then feed them something that they really like. (All of mine absolutely love BBQ'd chicken) You may have to do this several times.

 

[kitkat]

My cats used to hate their nylon collars but maybe b/c it was their first time having to wear a collar, I don't know. I use soft suede collars now and they don't mind at all. Try putting on the collar and feeding them a can, it may work since they won't be thinking about the collar while they eat (or you hope they won't think about it). Maybe the collar is too rough for your cat, try a soft one like a supple leather or suede one. If your cat is strictly indoors, you can possibly do without a collar unless they have a way of getting out....

 

[stu]

I think that all cats get used to collars eventually, as long as they're not too tight, because that could really cause damage.
Oh, and do NOT use those flea collars, because vets in the UK have condemned them as causing irritation to the cat's skin.

 

[Zalensia]

My vets have never said anything to me in the 14 years me/my partner has had cats, and they all have flea collars on- always just advsied to take the collar off at least 2 weeks before using any flea treatments.

anyways

when i put collars on my cats they went NUTS feet got stuck in them, mouths got stuck in them, everything. What i did was leave it on while i was at hom enad awake. If i went out or went to bed i took the collars off them. Eventually you can put it on and off no problem until you can leave it on all the time. If you are going to use a leather collar make sure its a snap away if your cat goes outside, otherwise there is a very high risk of strangulation. My cats are microchipped aswell, but a collar is always an instant sign that a cat has an owner. I wouldnt leave a harness on a cat while letting her outside without you watching, again if she got caught in a tree or something she would be trapped.
For the looseness of the collar you should roughly be able to put 2 fingers between the collar and the cats neck, that way its not so loose that it can come off easily, and its not too tight that it causes discomfort or wont come off if the cat gets stuck in a tree etc.

 

[stu]

Oh, fair enough.
It's just that I have read in so many books that flea collars can be harmful to cats.
We have adopted three 13-year-old girls, and you can tell that their previous owners fitted all three with flea collars, because they have absolutely no fur left around their neck where the collars used to be.

I'm sure those flea collars have fairly powerful chemicals in, but if you've had no problems with them, then fine.