Cat collar recommendations - Looking for FUNCTIONAL, not fashionable.

June 25, 2015 10:05 AM

We need to purchase a new collar for our cat. Concerns over previous collar and new collar requirements inside.

We need to purchase a new collar for our cat. It must have the following characteristics :

1. It must be highly reflective.
2. It must have a breakaway clasp we can trust.
3. It must accommodate a non-hanging tag.

I'm overwhelmed by the options available, specifically because our first collar was such a disappointment. It advertised a "breakaway clasp" (generally speaking, it should disengage when five pounds of pressure are applied) which I was unable to trigger while holding in my hands and pulling hard. Because of the concern this caused, I'm looking for proven, reputable collars. I'm willing to pay for this.

Regarding my requirements above, I've read that hanging tags can potentially cause situations where the breakaway collar does not properly disengage. This seems hard to confirm, however, so if anyone has some resources that either prove or disprove this I would be happy to read them.

So many collars available seem to be primarily concerned with how cute it will look; I want my indoor-only cat to be safe(r) should he ever find his way outside. This is not a fashion accessory in our eyes. It's safety equipment and I want the best for him.

(As a side note, why are none of these made with magnetic clasps? It seems like it would be far more verifiably functional than simply hoping a weak plastic clasp will break as designed when your cat gets stuck/caught/hung on something.)

posted by radiosilents to Pets & Animals (11 answers total)

Response by poster: Obligatory pictures of the cat in question are located here.
posted by radiosilents at 10:16 AM on June 25, 2015 [3 favorites]

Regarding the hanging tag: I used to sew both ends of their rabies tags onto my cats' fabric collars. The tags had two holes, though, which made it easier.
posted by amtho at 10:26 AM on June 25, 2015

Any cat would escape a magnetic clasp in about two seconds flat, and magnets, if ingested, are extremely dangerous.

I don't think there is a truly perfect breakaway collar. If it breaks away too easily, the collar will be lost very quickly. It is possible to file down a breakaway collar to make it looser. Alternately you could keep the collar loose enough so that the cat can wriggle free with relative ease. At that point, though, why not just rely on a microchip to do its job?
posted by acidic at 10:37 AM on June 25, 2015

These look pretty good. I'd put ID info as the "personalization" and clip off the bell. Here is a similar option -- I can attest to the reflectiveness. Here is an Etsy option -- you could ask them to leave off the bell. And you can slide on a flat ID tag if you want, like this one.
posted by bearwife at 10:48 AM on June 25, 2015 [1 favorite]

I use these as provided by the local shelter. They are breakaway and elastic and reflective. I've been really happy with the collars. They have been escaped from multiple times over the years which is my clue that they won't kill my cat by strangulation.
posted by Gor-ella at 10:53 AM on June 25, 2015 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: The cat is chipped. The point of the collar is to keep him visible and demonstrate that he is a pet from a distance / communicate contact information if up close.
posted by radiosilents at 10:54 AM on June 25, 2015

It might help if we knew where in the world you are. I mean, I can recommend something from my local pet store, but that might not be so helpful.
posted by Too-Ticky at 11:58 AM on June 25, 2015

Response by poster: Fayetteville, AR, USA.
posted by radiosilents at 12:02 PM on June 25, 2015 [1 favorite]

If you don't want to hang something, get clothing labels and sew or iron them on to the collar. They're cheap so if your cat does lose its collar, you can replace the label easily.

If you don't want a breakaway snap, there are collars with breakaway elastics. (They used to be more common, now it's all the snaps.)
posted by jeather at 12:31 PM on June 25, 2015

We use this one. Very reflective: even in a sunlit room I can see it gleam from some angles.

Clasp: our kitty has no trouble taking it off herself. (We keep the collar a little loose to facilitate this).
posted by homodachi at 12:56 PM on June 25, 2015

We got out indoor-outdoor cat a breakaway collar with his name and my cell number embroidered on it which is he's not lost in nearly a year after losing about one a week with a tag on it. The one we have isn't reflective but I'me sure you could start with that and then get the embroidery done.
posted by marylynn at 9:56 PM on June 27, 2015