Why Your Cat Should Wear a Tag & Collar

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According to catcaresociety.org, “most pet owners do not provide their cats with collars and identification tags or microchips.” Many cat owners have this idea that their cat will only stay indoors. And if it should slip out of the house, it’ll easily find its way back home.

If only that was the case. Cats are born with the natural instinct to run around, jump, hide, and hunt. And although your cat may love you, there’s no saying it will ever really come back if it leaves the house unattended.

Using Cat Tags and Collars

One of the most common problems with putting a tag and collar on a cat is that they reject it. That’s why it’s important to ease your cat into the process. Put the collar on and take it off a couple times throughout the day. Once they’re used to the collar, start applying the tags in the same fashion.

Once you have your cat tagged, it opens up the world to their identity. Lets be real – if your cat gets lost in the neighborhood, only few will know who it belongs to. With identification, there’s a much greater chance of your cat being returned home.

So What Should be on the Tag?

While it’s tempting to cram as much information as you can on a tag, it’s truly not necessary. The cat’s name and owner’s phone number is really all you need. A second phone number may be a good idea.

What About Microchips?

A microchip is placed in your pet’s neck to identify it. It’s not a hard thing to implement, and the use of them is quickly becoming a standard routine. But according to the Humane Society, “microchips are not foolproof, and you shouldn’t rely on them exclusively to protect your pet.” It’s always wise to keep a tag and collar on your cat.

Tag Maintenance

Once you buy tags and collars, you can use them forever, right?

Not quite. Pets lose and gain weight fairly easily, so the fit of their collar will need to be changed. Also keep in mind that tags can wear, fade, get scratched, etc. Your phone number or home address could change as well! And if the information on the tags is no longer readable, or incorrect, what’s the point of even having the tags?

Lisa Podwirny is the owner of Ketchum Mfg. Connect with her on Google+!

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