Cat’s can wear collars all the time, but there are definitely a few things to consider to make sure that your cat is safe and comfortable. We are going to go through the benefits and some important decisions you should make when choosing a safe cat collar. One of the main benefits of a cat wearing a collar, particularly if they are an outdoor cat, is that it can help identify your cat if they are wearing an ID tag and it also makes people aware that they are not a stray. However, if you don’t choose the right collar for your cat it can be uncomfortable for them and also dangerous if they aren’t wearing a breakaway collar and get caught on something. At Noggins & Binkles we only make breakaway safety buckle cat collars and all our luxury vegan friendly materials are soft and comfortable so they can be worn all the time. Our engraved cat ID tags are also lightweight and the perfect size for cats to wear all the time!
Noggins wearing our white vegan silicone leather cat collar with breakaway safety buckle and bell
Benefits of Cats Wearing Collars All the Time
Outdoor cats and indoor only cats can both benefit from wearing cat collars all the time for different reasons. Breakaway safety cat collars with ID tags can help to keep your cat safe and identify them quickly if they get lost. With outdoor cats this can easily happen, but even indoor cats can escape through an open door or window, so indoor cats can also benefit from wearing a collar and tag too. This has unfortunately happened to us when a guest left a door open, but luckily our cats, Noggins and Binkles, only ventured as far as the garden and were both wearing their collars and tags at the time. We’ve written more about indoor cats wearing cat collars and tags here. It’s worth noting that breakaway collars are designed to come off if your cat gets caught on something so although an ID tag is important, all cats should also be microchipped with up-to-date contact details as a backup.
Cat collars with ID tags can also help to show that they are not a stray and quickly identify your cat if they are brought into a rescue centre or veterinary clinic, but as already mentioned, you should make sure they are microchipped as this will normally be scanned. We often see stories in the news about long lost cats being reunited with their family after their microchip has been scanned at a rescue centre, so it shows how important it can be. It will also show any neighbours that your cat already has a home. We’ve engraved many cat tags with ‘please don’t feed’ so an ID tag is also a great way to get a message on your cat’s collar in addition to contact details. If you aren’t sure what to include on a cat ID tag you can read our blog here.
Our luxury solid brass cat ID tags with address and contact details engraved
If you let your cat outside, a collar with a bell can also help to keep wildlife safe, as your cat won’t be able to quietly hunt them! The bell will make a nice jingle noise as your cat approaches, which can startle birds and other animals, giving them a chance to escape.
Possible Disadvantages of Cats Wearing Collars All the Time
It’s important to choose a comfortable cat collar for your cat, that’s also well fitted, as an uncomfortable material could cause damage to their skin if it rubs. At Noggins & Binkles we make our luxury eco-friendly cat collars from comfortable materials, such as vegan cork leather, organic cotton and vegan silicone leather, which are all soft to touch and have no hard edges. In addition to choosing a comfortable material it’s also important that your cat’s collar is fitted properly. We’ve written more about that here, but in short, you should be able to fit two fingers in their collar when fitted. If a cat collar is too tight it can restrict your cat's breathing and cause rubbing on their neck and a collar that is too loose can slip off or easily get caught on something and come off.
We would never recommend putting a normal collar on a cat, as in one with a normal buckle instead of a breakaway safety buckle. If you put a dog collar on a cat or a collar with a non-breakaway buckle it could be very dangerous if your cat gets caught on something, for example, if your cat's non-breakaway collar gets caught on a branch or fence, they could choke or be strangled. A breakaway safety cat collar is designed to open if your cat gets caught on something so it’s really important to choose one to keep your cat safe.
Conclusion
Although we would recommend cats wear collars and ID tags all the time or most of the time, the decision will be up to you with what works best for your cat. When our cats have been indoor cats in an apartment, with multiple doors before the outside world, we took a hybrid approach so they would wear their collars in the day, but we would remove them at night. There are many benefits of indoor and outdoor cats wearing collars and tags and any possible disadvantages can be overcome by choosing the right collar. If you do decide to let your cat wear a collar all the time or sometimes, it is important to make sure that it is fitted properly, has a breakaway safety buckle and that it is made from a safe material and don’t forget to make sure your cat is microchipped as a backup if they do lose their collar and tag!