Prior to becoming a cat owner, you know it’s your job to do everything you can to make your home as cat-friendly as possible so as to make your new furry friend feel part of it too. This includes cat-proofing the rooms by removing and hiding anything that could harm the feline, from cords and heavy falling objects on tables and cupboards, to container garden plants that might be poisonous.
The other step to take when welcoming a cat into the family is of course acquiring the needed bits and pieces of supplies. The usual and basic essentials include food and water bowls, specialised food with nutrients adequate for the age, litter boxes with adequate litter, beds in the proper sizes and fabrics, as well as scratchers and toys. Oh, and lots and lots of boxes they can hide in!
Now, when it comes to those related to health, you can’t overlook grooming essentials and products meant to prevent and treat flea problems. As for well-being and safety, you’re going to have to pick from the vast array of functional and stylish cat collars too.
How Can Collars Benefit Your Cat?
There’s a lot of doubt as to whether or not an owner should get a collar if the cat only lives indoors. Even if you intend to keep your cat inside your home at all times, and the only outdoors it would get is being at the catio, the investment in a collar is still a great idea. Apart from being stylish, these are the supplies designed to be personalised and hold a cat’s ID, registration tags, and GPS tracking devices.
If there ever comes a day that your furry friend breaks away from home, and roams the streets, the cat collar would be of help in increasing your chances of finding your beloved feline in a short matter of time. Moreover, some designs have reflective material either on some bits or the whole model, which is useful with security, making the cat visible after dark.
This is especially of assistance if you’ve got a cat with a dark coat. Not to mention, the collar designs that have cute little bells on them, or other noise generating items, are perfect if you care about your cat’s protection against predators. In addition, these items also make a cat’s prey escape.
As much as your cat would want to work on its instincts and gift you with some bird, rodent, or small reptile, the fact is it may present a threat to certain native wildlife species that might be on the brink of extinction. When at home, the advantage of wearing cat collars is you’d be in the know of where your cat is at all times, even when out of sight hiding from you. This would save you from a great deal of worry and scare-searches.
How to Pick from the Range of Collars?
When you come to search through the variety of options, first and foremost you can narrow down your choices by learning the different types of collars (https://www.introinto.com.au/intro-into-the-different-types-of-cat-collars/) that are available. Once you do, your homework isn’t done completely, as you’d have to keep a few aspects in mind. They are as follows:
Choose a Collar Based on the Fit
Comfort should be the primary property of any collar you pick. The last thing you need is collaring your cat only to cause it discomfort by making it feel difficulty breathing, moving, or pulling out some fur.
The reason there’s such as wide range of cat collars on the market has to do with the fact cats come in different ages and different sizes. To have the peace of mind you choose well, be sure to check for a two-finger allowance and focus on designs with breakaway buckles to avoid any strangling accidents. Sure, you might end up losing some collars, but it’s better than knowing you put your beloved cat at risk with sturdy collars it could choke on.
Choose a Collar Based on the Necessity
If you’ve got the type of cat that doesn’t mind enjoying the outdoors being walked by you, then you’d benefit most by finding collars that are to be used in a combination with leads. There are cats who prefer this to wearing harnesses.
There’s also another type of necessity for a different collar – one that can be of help with treating and protecting from fleas. Though it’s worthy to point out some cats experience adverse symptoms and sensitivity to this design, so if you’ve got a flea problem, it’s advisable to talk it out with the vet first.
Choose a Collar Based on the Habitat
This aspect is helpful with deciding on the most suitable type out of a range of collars for cats based on the surroundings your cat would live in. Cats have their hunting instincts even when you feed them well, and searching for “food” around your home (as long as there are no species at threat of extinction!) would be easier if you get a collar with a removable bell that wouldn’t warn the prey.
Choose a Collar Based on the Safety
This mainly comes down to your cat’s personality. If he or she likes to be out, even after dark, then you’d have to acquire a breakaway reflective design for more visibility. The advanced designs with GPS tracking devices would also come in handy.