Collar Research

Before beginning design and research of the collar, we thought we would research why a collar is important and any important safety features that should appear on the collar. We also looked into how to check if your cat collar is safely fitted and use this to create a tutorial for people who buy the collar. We also looked into whether including bells on the design are actually safe for a cat to wear and anything we should avoid whilst designing the collar. 

According to the RSPB, A correctly fitted collar and bell can reduce cat predation by a third. The study, undertaken by volunteer cat owners from across the UK, tested the effect of different collar-mounted warning devices in reducing cat predation within gardens. Results show that cats equipped with a bell returned 41 per cent fewer birds and 34 per cent fewer mammals than those with a plain collar. Those equipped with an electronic sonic device returned 51 per cent fewer birds and 38 per cent fewer mammals, compared with cats wearing a plain collar. Gardens are becoming increasingly important as providers of food and shelter to many birds, because of a decrease in natural habitats and food sources. Red-listed species such as the house sparrow, starling and song thrush are becoming increasingly concentrated in gardens and therefore in closer contact with pet cats. 

We found this very interesting, we found a lot of evidence online about how cat collars with bells are useful for protecting not only the cat but other animals too. We both had a bit of a misconception that collars with bells on were not very popular amongst people but actually most people seem to be supportive of bells and collars in general. 

How to check a collar is safe

1. Test the buckle.

Most cat collars now come with a safety feature built in – either a “breakaway” buckle, elastic stretching portion, or an entire collar made of elastic material.  These designs are intended to allow a cat who is caught on an object to twist and safely slide out of the collar. However, it is important to test the collar you purchase. How easily does the buckle come undone? If your cat gets caught and hangs, will it function as it should?

For collars that stretch, is it enough of a stretch that it will easily slide off over your cat’s head but — and this is SO IMPORTANT — can also be tight enough so your cat can not get his/her lower jaw under the collar, and get stuck? See step #2 for how to reduce this risk!

2. Test the fit

The rule of thumb – or fingers really – is snug enough so you can just slide two fingers under the collar. Too loose and it is too easy for a cat to get their mouth under the collar. And we have seen cats that have gotten their jaw stuck who panicked and severely mangled their face with their front and back claws drying to “escape” from a collar that was partially choking them! Cats – especially kittens – are amazingly flexible. That is why step #3 is so important too.

3. Test your cat

Please, please, please, do not put a collar on a cat and leave them unsupervised. Even if the cat seems fine at first and ignores the collar, as they move around, try to eat or drink, lie down, or play, they may suddenly become bothered by this new thing around their neck and try to get it off. WATCH YOUR CAT CLOSELY FOR THE FIRST HOUR and then if you can no longer have your eyes on your cat, take the collar off. Put it back on only when you’ll be able to see immediately if your cat gets his jaw stuck or goes into a panic to get the collar off. Gradually build up the amount of time your cat spends in the collar. If you notice your cat still trying to chew on or get his/her jaw under the collar, even after several days of building up how long he/she has been wearing it, your cat may be one of the few cats who cannot safely wear a collar.

We agreed that this little checklist from Adopt A Pet is important for keeping cats safe, something we will look at when designing both packaging and promoting the product across social media platforms. 

Researching cat collars has had an important role in our design. We actually didn't consider the amount of things that need to be taken into account to create a safe collar suitable for all cats.