Collars for cats: types, choices and features of use

When planning to start a pet at home, you need to think about where he will live, what to eat and how he will spend his free time. Those who wind up cats in an apartment usually do not let them out on the street in order to protect them from street animals, dirt and diseases. But there are owners who prefer to walk with their pets or give them plenty to frolic on their own. For such walks for the cat to be safe, it is best to wear a collar on it. From his choice depends largely on the comfort of the pet and its owner.

The collar for cats is needed the same way as for dogs, especially if the animal moves freely around the street. Now you can buy any version of the product with different functions, sizes and colors, because there is no problem of choice. To more accurately understand whether a pet collar is needed, it is worth analyzing what its purpose is.

1. It helps make the cat calmer, makes it clear who is the boss. The presence of the collar contributes to a more rapid and successful process of training.
2. Gives a certain benefit to the pet: protects against pests, helps to quickly find the lost pet, gives information about the cat and its owners, if he gets lost. For an actively walking cat on the street, this accessory is a must.
3. The convenience of walking a pet with a leash, if used self-fastening collar.
4. Gives the opportunity to decorate a pet, make it stylish and irresistible thanks to rhinestones, sparkles and any other trifles.

If you are going to buy a cat collar, you should not stop with products for dogs, as they are not suitable for cats. In the creation of such products, not only the size and design, but also the safety of animals was thought through. Due to the fact that cats often climb trees, fences and other places, they may accidentally catch on something with a collar. To prevent the pet from strangling itself in this way, a self-fastening lock or elastic inserts are provided on the collars, which make it possible to get out of the collar.

To buy a suitable collar, you should carefully examine it. It should not smell, the material should not leave traces of paint on the skin, for safety should be provided for certain measures. Buttoning the strap around the cat's neck, you need to choose the right size, leaving a gap between the neck of the animal and the collar no more than a centimeter.

Most often, the collars are made of genuine or artificial leather, but now you can also find fabric products, variants of rubberized materials and plastic. The main quality, which should have this accessory, should be elasticity. So that the cat does not have any health problems, the strap should not cause him allergies. Since the variety of cat breeds is growing quite intensively, then collars are made with this in mind. For hairless varieties, you should choose specialized options made from a softer and more delicate material, so as not to damage the delicate skin of the pet.

Another selection criterion is the age and size of the pet. For kittens it is worth buying special products that have smaller sizes and high quality workmanship. Small and thin cats can buy a thin collar, a thick strap will fit a thicker and larger one. For a cat after castration, it is worthwhile to buy such a collar, so that a protective collar can be attached to it, which prevents contact with the operated area.

Since the functionality of the collar may be different, it is worth learning about it as much as possible. more to choose the right collar for your pet.

• Antiparasitic - This is a cat's strap, which allows you to effectively counteract fleas and ticks, which often infest animals that spend a lot of time on the street. With daily wear, you can not only get rid of, but also protect the animal from parasites. The sock of such a strap is possible only for adults, kittens and pregnant cats should not wear it. This species has a specific odor that repels fleas, which may not be to the liking of the cat itself or even its owners. The cat has a risk of allergies, as well as people susceptible to the components of the collar. It is better not to buy such a collar for a pet if you have small children at home. An alternative may be ultrasound options, which consist of a small device that gives out special impulses that negatively affect the parasites and forcing them to leave the animal.

• Decorative - needed for those cases when you need to dress up and decorate a pet. A beautiful collar is put on exhibitions or photo shoots. It is better to use this accessory only for the occasion, and then take it off, as it will deliver discomfort to the pet. Its appearance is different due to the material used, the width of the product and jewelry. Decorative collar can be with rhinestones, engraved, bell.

• Self-fastening - the most suitable option for walking with a cat and in the event that the pet likes to walk for a long time. The design of the product involves a flexible base that will stretch out if necessary and prevent the animal from strangling if it gets caught on something. There are options with a clasp or notch, which will release the cat from the object that is hampering it.

• Electronic device - This is a collar with a tracking sensor, which allows you to be aware of exactly where the cat is at a particular moment. A strap with a navigator costs a lot, but it gives complete confidence to the owner and the cat that they will not lose each other. The design of this accessory can be with a beacon or with a chip. With a GPS tracker, the cat will be protected not only anywhere, but also in any weather, as the manufacturers made its design in such a way that it is not afraid of moisture and intense heat.

• Personal - This is a cheaper variation of the collar, where instead of tracking sensors there are other aids. Often these are straps with an adresnik, with a medallion, with a phone number or a personalized accessory with the name of a pet. Such items contain the name of the animal and the address where it lives. An emergency telephone number can also be written.

• Luminous - collar, which is partially or completely covered with reflective paint, which allows you to see the cat well in the dark. This option is very convenient for those owners who walk with the cat late at night and do not want to lose it. More modern products have a sensor that includes a collar with the onset of dark time.

• Sound - makes it possible not to see, but to hear an animal that is walking on the street. A simpler modification is equipped with a bell, and a modern one has an electronic warning system. This option is perfect for visually impaired or blind hosts who value their pet.

• Calming - this is a product that has an impregnation of special pheromones, which have a calming effect, with it even the most obstinate cat becomes calm and adequate.

• Magnetic - may have two types of magnets - with healing properties and without them.An ordinary magnet can be useful if a special door is made for the cat, which can be opened only by a collar. The therapeutic product helps to improve the well-being of the pet, helping with kidney, stomach, intestinal and joint diseases.

To choose the right collar for the cat, you should pay attention to such options like:

• right size;
• suitable form;
• optimal color;
• comfortable material;
• lock design option.

To know the desired value, it is necessary to measure the width of the neck and add another 3-4 cm to this value - this will be the desired size of the collar for the cat. If you buy a strap from parasites, then it usually does not have a dimensional mesh, it will have to be customized for a pet on its own. Having correctly put on and fastening the strap, you need to check if it is not too tight and if the cat will remove it on its own, and if everything is done correctly, then the excess part is simply cut off.

The optimal shape will be a round section that does not rub the skin and does not rub the wool at the place of socks. The choice of colors can be any, this moment is decided by the owner himself without any special recommendations. You can choose the range depending on the sex of the animal - females are lighter and brighter, males - darker. To improve the safety of your pet, it is better to initially acquire a collar with a reflector, which will help protect the cat from the wheels of the car or will allow it to be found faster on the street.

The quality of the product, namely the materials that are used for its manufacture, is important. Typically, manufacturers select components that do not cause allergies, discomfort, smells in cats, so pets calmly get used to them. Sometimes you can buy low-quality goods that are made of unsuitable materials and can harm the cat.. To distinguish a good collar from a bad one, you should look at the product as a whole, at its accessories, workmanship, as well as read reviews about the manufacturer.

Choosing a collar, you should pay attention to the lock itself, it should be safe, convenient to use and not interfere with the cat, especially when it comes to long-haired breeds. The best option for a cat collar is a narrow product with a smooth inner side, made from quality materials and designed specifically for cats. Particular caution should be exercised in the case of kittens - an adult collar is not suitable for them, because you should carefully choose an accessory. For small pets, you can buy anti-parasitic products that can be used from the age of three months. An important feature that distinguishes this option from an adult will be the amount of active substance that is on the collar.

It is worth remembering that kids grow quickly and the collar will have to be changed or perepegivat from time to time, and it is advisable not to miss the moment when the product begins to become close.

The optimal age when it is necessary to start training for the strap is 6 months, when the pet has gotten a little stronger and is ready for training.Very small kittens are too fragile bones of the spine and can hurt themselves if they have an extra accessory. Adults with great difficulty get used to innovations, so you shouldn’t delay with the beginning of training for the accessory.

In order to properly put a collar on a cat, it is important to follow a number of recommendations.

• Having bought a collar, you need to show it to the cat, give a sniff, play with it and study well. If you put an unfamiliar thing on the animal, it will instinctively reject it.
• The first attempts to wear the strap should be short-lived, because the cat will not like the new accessory, and it will take it off.
• To increase the duration of wearing the collar, you can put it on before eating and give food, praising the cat for obedience and wearing a strap. Positive experience, which will be repeated several times, will begin to stimulate the pet to calmly relate to the new product around the neck and get used to it.
• Every day you need to strive to increase the time spent in the collar from a few minutes to an hour. When a cat is used and does not pay attention to the strap, you can not remove it more.

Only after practicing at home, you can go on this street outside, otherwise the walk can be very difficult for both the cat and the owner. In the event that training is hard and the cat does not want to try on the collar, you do not need to insist on it, scold the pet and punish him. Such actions can only achieve the opposite effect and there will definitely not be a pet in a belt. It is better to leave it alone for a week, or even a month, and try to repeat the procedure again, evaluating the results.

For those owners who plan to release the cat on the street or walk with him, the procedure of training to the collar is necessary, because, in addition to controlling the animal, it gives it protection from parasites, makes it noticeable at night and contributes to more correct behavior. Only by choosing the product correctly and by accustoming the pet to it in time and gradually, can the desired result be achieved.

On what flea and tick collars are most effective, see the next video.