Here are some pros and cons of cat collars. My cat does not have a cat collar (he used to have one). He does not need one as he lives a confined life but his confinement is pleasant. However, I like the look of a collar on a cat.
I am sure one reason why cat owners put a collar on their cat is because it looks good. It is a form of dressing up your cat. But this is a human trait. We like to dress up. Cats don’t. If we dress up our cat with a collar we are doing it for ourselves. Cats in general either tolerate a collar or don’t like it. They don’t actively like to wear a collar! And we should try and do things for our cat that he or she likes. That’s our duty or role as cat owners.
However, cat collars have a function going well beyond aesthetics. For outside cats they provide an identification tag. Cat identification is important but if your cat is microchipped a tag on a collar is obviously less important. It nonetheless serves a purpose as it can seen by anyone whereas a microchip needs to be scanned using a special machine.
You can place a bell on the collar which people believe helps to deter a cat from preying on birds etc..
Actually there is a very effective cat collar which prevents cats preying on birds. It is brightly coloured but definitely not aesthetically pleasing to the eye. However this is a very useful cat collar if you are concerned about domestic cat predation. A lot of people are especially with respect to birds.
Flea control collars are quite popular but they too can cause injury.
The major argument against cat collars is that some are not quick release and therefore potentially dangerous. Cats can get caught up in them as shown in the picture. Rarely there are even stories of cats being killed by collars through strangulation. There is a risk of injury with cat collars.
There is also the issue of poor fit. A careless approach by a cat owner could result is the collar being too tight or perhaps it is placed on a young cat and not adjusted to accommodate growth. This can cause discomfort and injury.
Conclusion
The conclusion is that the benefits of a cat collar probably outweigh the detriments or potential detriments provided the cat owner is careful and thoughtful about attaching a collar to their cat. And provided their cat is okay about wearing it.
Can you think of more pros and cons of cat collars?
