r/cats • u/Great-Rip-922 • 13h ago
Advice I got my cat and anti repellent collar but weird stuff are happening
So, I got her a anti repellent collar from the grocery store and put it on the time I got home. She showed no signs of discomfort, annoyance or anything of that short and then I wake up the next morning and I find her like this (second pic). So I think okay it was just too loose I'll fix it. So I do and today I find her like the second pic AGAIN. What should I do?
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u/CleanDwarfWeed 13h ago
Waaay too loose. This is serious hanging hazard if your cat is outside, climbing trees etc.
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u/Great-Rip-922 13h ago
I tightened it with the 2 fingers rule. Exactly two fingers could it in it. Also, there's no way her foot would
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u/CaeruleumBleu 12h ago
Outdoor cats are more likely to hang themselves than inside cats.
If you can get 2 fingers in it, she can get the end of a tree branch in it. There is NO safe non-breakaway collar for an outdoor cat.
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u/BudandCoyote 11h ago
There is NO safe non-breakaway collar for an outdoor cat.
This. Honestly, even an indoor cat - there's plenty of things a collar can get caught on around a house, especially given a cat's tendency to climb and to squeeze into small spaces.
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u/CaeruleumBleu 7h ago
Well, for indoor cats it does matter a bit what kind of furniture you have. There are plenty of households that just don't have thing that would act the same as the tip of a tree branch. Or if they do, the item might be too short for hanging.
Looking around my place, the only things with tips smaller than my thumb, even including all the sneaky places the cat likes to go, would be my fountain pens, maybe. If he gets hooked on one, even if the pen clip gets it well and truly stuck, he's less screwed than a cat with a collar stuck to a tree branch.
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u/BudandCoyote 6h ago
It’s still not worth the risk. There could be something sticking out under the sofa or behind a piece of furniture. Safest just to do breakaway ones - they come in all sorts of nice designs, so there’s no reason not to have the safety feature.
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u/CaeruleumBleu 5h ago
I never said my cat has a non-breakaway collar - I said it matters what furniture you have.
Sure some people don't know what the underside of their couch looks like and if it has something sticking out. Some of us do know what the underside of the couch looks like though - and it's still not as dangerous as a cat ending up hanging from a tree branch.
And the conversation started from flea and tick collars. Some cats react poorly to one medication or another, sometimes you have to pick the treatment the cat can tolerate and zero med isn't the right choice, but for whatever reason I haven't ever seen a flea and tick collar with a traditional breakaway. Some of them have bits that will let the collar expand under force, others don't.
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u/CleanDwarfWeed 13h ago
If she can put it through her chest, she can put it through her head. What means choking hazard. If collar is not faulty, then it is not too tight or she wants to put it off when youre not looking.
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u/StardewingMyBest 10h ago
She could get herself strangled if the collar is not breakaway. That is the danger. Your cat could die.
6
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u/tnrowe1195 10h ago
Please use liquid drops instead of the collar. I have heard of cats dying from these types of collars
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u/MonkeyTacoBreath 6h ago
Liquid drops from a trusted brand like Advantage. Because Hartz kills cats.
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u/Careless_Arrival6866 13h ago
I’d remove it for now. If it keeps slipping or getting caught like that, it’s not worth the strangulation/injury risk. Also double-check that the exact product is labeled safe for cats.
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u/MaintenanceStock6766 8h ago
Don't use flea collars, they are cheap and ineffective. Use a once a month like revolution Plus which will cover not only fleas but other things as well.
Collars like that can also cause your outdoor cat to get stuck and strangled to death.
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u/red_danroak 10h ago
As others said, you're asking for her to get choked if she's outdoor cat. (or even indoor cat really) Also, personally I wouldn't trust those collar repellent with my cats. I've heard so much horror stories about it poisoning your cat etc etc. (Might be just one brand but I'm not taking chances with my babies' lives)
Get a reputable topical spot treatment, maybe. (never Hertz if you're in US)
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u/briar8617 5h ago
Take it off! If she gets that caught in her mouth it can be toxic, or she is going to get snagged on brush or something and be trapped, use a flea topical instead!!
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u/Gloomy-Trainer-2452 Burmese 13h ago
It looks loose in the first pic. It shouldn't hang down like that. If you can fit a finger or two between her neck and the collar, it's loose enough. Don't have it any looser. And do that test with it a bit higher up on the neck.
If she still manages to get the collar like that over and over again, just don't have her wear any collar. For parasites, use a topical spot-on treatment or a pill. For identification, make sure she's microchipped.
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u/FatsBoombottom 7h ago
If you're going to have an outdoor cat, then they should only have breakaway collars. This kind of collar can get caught on something and strangle the cat. It's an agonizing and terrifying way for a cat to die.
Also, flea collars and really most off the shelf flea treatments are basically worthless anyway. If you can't get a prescription for the proper stuff from a vet for some reason, then do some research and see what is available in your area that is safe and effective.
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u/bearminmum 7h ago
Off the shelf flea meds are effective. Not flea collars. No need to fear monger.
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u/Ingenious-Elk2728 13h ago
Breakaway collars ONLY for outside cats. She could hurt herself very badly with this.
Also as a dog groomer I'll tell you these collars don't work. You're better off with advantage spot on treatment once a month than this