A safe cat collar is a crucial accessory for any pet cat. Without a collar, your cat may be impossible to identify if he gets lost or wanders off. It will also be difficult to tell if he is a stray or if he has a permanent home. A collar is key to your pet's long-term safety. However, the collar itself should not impede your cat's health in any way. Although infrequent, cat injuries and deaths due to faulty or dangerous collars do occur. Read on for some tips on selecting a cat collar that will keep your pet safe and free of injury.
Material
Your cat's collar should be a flexible and stretchy material. The ideal cat collar should not be too tight or too lose, but should fit comfortably around your pet's neck without either choking him or falling off. A stretchy material has a bit of give to it and will allow your pet to free himself if he gets the collar stuck in his mouth or in his foot.
Be weary of leather or firm plastic cat collars. These materials are relatively inflexible and will not stretch well if your cat gets his collar caught on part of his body or another object. Cats brush their collars up against many surfaces throughout any given day, from cat doors to pieces of furniture, and it is possible that your cat will get his collar stuck on one of these surfaces. This situation may be a mild inconvenience or it may be a fatal accident. As such, a flexible material will help your cat to free himself and remain safe.
Automatic Snap
In addition to a flexible material, safe cat collars should also feature an automatic snap or latch that will release under your cat's weight. Even a stretchy collar can still choke your cat in some circumstances, and the safest collars are actually designed to open and fall off of your cat if subjected to a certain pressure. This will ensure that your cat cannot get hurt if his collar should get stuck on a piece of furniture or other surface.
A Bit of Breathing Room
You should be able to fit one or two fingers in between your cat's collar and his neck. A collar that is too loose may get caught more easily, while a collar that is too tight can affect your cat's breathing and movement. When adjusting your pet's collar, keep in mind that you should be able to pull it off of his head quickly and with little trouble, if the situation arises.
Microchip identifiers are common replacements for feline collars. They carry none of the risks associated with collars, and are cheap and easy to set up. With a microchip card, however, no one will be able to identify your cat on sight. Ideally, your cat should have a safe and appropriate collar and a microchip both, just in case the collar comes off or releases itself.