Check that cat collars aren’t too tight

A cat came in to us this week whose collar was on so tight that we had to cut it off and this was done with difficulty.   The collar must have been fastened round this poor cat’s neck for months, if not years.   The skin is rubbed away and sore all the way round. It’s actually a lot worse than the photo shows.  What a relief she must feel now she is rid of it.   The collar itself is tiny so we don’t know how long it has been on.

This is not the first time we’ve seen this.  Tight collars on cats are commonplace and we’ve seen worse than this.  The collar on one cat we had in was right under the skin and barely detectable.   The cat didn’t eat and was very thin.  It couldn’t eat and that was the problem.  We had to pick the dead skin away to get at the collar and cut it free.

When the collar is removed it takes a while for the skin and tissues to recover, so the cat may not make an immediate recovery.   She will feel lots better though.   If you’ve put a collar on your cat please check it daily.  The weight of a cat can fluctuate and cause the collar to tighten up.   Better still – don’t put a collar on.   It’s not a natural thing and can be dangerous unless it’s loose enough to slip over the cat’s head if she gets caught up.  It’s much better to have your cat microchipped and then there’s no need for a collar.