# Where is my cat's collar? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 16, 2012, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-my-cats-collar/637915 "2012-10-16T18:58:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2012, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-my-cats-collar/637915/21 "2012-11-09T20:37:50Z")
I’ve seen a neighbourhood cat lose his collar in a fight with another cat. Just one of those fun perks of being an outdoor cat, I suppose. ---
**Author:** ![Kalypso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/df705f/32.png) [@Kalypso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalypso)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2012, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-my-cats-collar/637915/22 "2012-11-10T00:40:11Z")
I’ll don my flame retardent undies and admit that my cat wears a non-breakaway collar. She kept losing them and had a habit of getting into people’s cars and garages, so I bought one that didn’t break away. I put it on her as snug as comfortably possible in hopes that it would be less likely to catch on things. She’s worn it for three years now without managing to hang herself. We lost her for 3 weeks once during this time, and then someone called saying they’d found her 30 miles away. She was thin, but incredibly happy to see us! ---
**Author:** ![chizzuk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chizzuk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chizzuk)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2012, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-my-cats-collar/637915/23 "2012-11-10T02:20:04Z")
I got my cat a cheap PetSmart breakaway collar and she’s worn it for over a year, but I was petting her the other day and noticed what looked like a small chafing spot on her neck, so I’ve taken it off. She’s indoor-only, so I think I may just let her go without and ask about a microchip next time we’re at the vet. Maybe a more expensive collar would have been better. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2012, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-my-cats-collar/637915/24 "2012-11-10T02:42:52Z")
> [@](#): > > Then one day she turns up, um, ovulating. Actually, she wasn’t ovulating. Cats (and rabbits) are spontaneous ovulators…they don’t ovulate unless they’re having sex. Or unless a vet tech uses a tiny dildo on them\* to bring them out of heat. Once they ovulate, they are done with the heat cycle…for a little while, anyway. \*Do not try this at home unless you are a trained professional! ---
**Author:** ![ducati](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@ducati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ducati)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2012, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-my-cats-collar/637915/25 "2012-11-10T03:08:35Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > Actually, she wasn’t ovulating. Cats (and rabbits) are spontaneous ovulators…they don’t ovulate unless they’re having sex. Now that you mention it, she did say the cat was in heat, not ovulating; I didn’t know there was a difference. Ignorance fought! ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2012, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-my-cats-collar/637915/26 "2012-11-10T03:17:14Z")
> [@wheresmymind](#): > > This. Even if the finder is clueless, the vet they take him to won’t be. Alternately, an ear tattoo is readily visible and permanent. I wouldn’t think an ear tattoo would work well on cats with dark ears, such as a Siamese. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2012, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-my-cats-collar/637915/27 "2012-11-10T03:42:10Z")
I’ve had a few Siamese (seal point, the darkest). The fur on the outside of their ears is dark, and they have hair on the inside of their ears, but the skin on the inside of their ears is light, and a tattoo would stand out nicely. It might be different among other meezers, but all of mine have had light skin under the fur. ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2012, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-my-cats-collar/637915/28 "2012-11-10T03:49:16Z")
I’ve been REALLY tempted to put standard, non-breakaway collars on the cats. Last night, I think I’m glad I didn’t. Dresden-kitty came home from someplace oily and small; it looked like he’d crawled through a car engine or something. So…yeah. I am curious as to how many cats really do get ‘hung up’ on their collars. I know my Little Orange Cat tried to strangle herelf with string when she was wee, so I’ve had a perhaps more-than-usual sensitivity about that. ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2012, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-my-cats-collar/637915/29 "2012-11-10T04:07:29Z")
All these stories remind me of why I finally decided to make the damn cats stay inside once and for all. Places I have found the cats’ collars: In the garden, under the rosemary plant On the trellis by the grapevine (one of the times I was happy she could break out of it) In the car, on one side of the brake pedal In the doghouse (a place the dog never once entered) On a bamboo plant In the neighbor’s front yard, sitting out in the middle of the grass Once the cats became indoors-only: Under the recliner Behind the sofa Under the kitchen table I finally gave up putting collars on the two cats who hated them. The cat who likes his collar just got a brand-new red one with white polka dots, and if I didn’t know better, I’d say he preened himself when we put it on. SO cute, and he knows it! And everyone has a microchip, so if they do get out without a collar, there’s still a good chance they could get back to us if they were found. ---
**Author:** ![ducati](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@ducati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ducati)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-my-cats-collar/637915/30 "2012-12-07T01:12:04Z")
Yeah, it’s gone. Lasted about 2 weeks. effin cats. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-my-cats-collar/637915.md?page=1)