We all love to pamper our cats. Accessorising our feline friends with a beautiful cat collar can be a lot of fun, particularly as there is so much choice available. However, before you decide whether a collar is right for your cat, or which collar you should choose, it is worth considering the benefits and risks. 

Unlike dogs, there is no legal requirement for cats to wear a collar with their owner's identification.  Microchips are the best way to have your cat carry identifying information. Collars are never a substitute for an identification microchip. 

If you choose to place a collar on your cat always ensure it is a safety collar that will release if your cat were to become entangled. A 'snap closed' mechanism that comes apart and releases under pressure is best. When selecting a collar try pulling the safety catch apart to ensure there is an appropriate fast release.

Collars can get snagged on fences or branches when your cat is adventuring. Safety breakaway collars are designed to prevent your cat from getting trapped or strangulated if this were to happen. Be prepared to lose a few collars if your cat likes to explore, but this is better than the potential hazards.

Never buy a collar with an elastic insert. Elastic has been used in the past to allow cats to escape should their collar get caught.

However, vets have seen horrible injuries caused by cats getting a front leg trapped under these collars. Cats have been trapped like this for weeks, and it can cause deep lacerations to the armpit (axilla) region.

A correctly fitting collar should allow two fingers to slide between the cat's neck and the collar. Too tight and a collar can cause pain, hair loss and damage to the neck. Too loose and a front leg could potentially become trapped. Check the fit of your cat's collar regularly, particularly in growing kittens. 

Wearing a collar does have benefits. A collar signals ownership, a cat with a collar is perhaps less likely to be 'adopted' by a kindly neighbour. Collars can also be helpful to convey messages, a cat on a special veterinary diet may wear a collar asking neighbours 'please don't feed me'. This message worked well on one particularly charming Burmese patient of mine, Bob. Bob had a food allergy and his owner was being very careful to only feed an expensive hypoallergenic diet, then unknown to her he would leap over the fence and feast on a range treats next door. Soon after the collar message Bob's symptoms disappeared and a rather sheepish neighbour came round to apologise.

If your cat is an avid hunter, a collar bell can almost half the number of birds they catch, according to research performed by the RSPB. Bells also reduced the numbers of voles and mice brought home, which is welcome news to cat owners as well as the rodent community.

Finally, dawn and dusk are the most likely times for a cat to be involved in a road traffic accident. A collar with a reflective stripe can improve your cat's visibility to motorists and potentially avoid a collision.

At Protect My Pet we are committed to keeping pets happy and healthy. If you do choose for your cat to wear a collar, just remember the two most important points, that they have a good-quality safety release and that the collar is correctly fitted and frequently checked.

Written by Lindsay Rose MA VetMB CertAVP CertVBM MRCVS

We all enjoy treating our dogs to a new collar, dog collars have become more of an accessory than a functional item to attach a lead. You can find them in every design, material, and colour imaginable, you can even treat your pooch to a collar encrusted in diamonds or created by Louis Vuitton. Regardless of whether your dog's collar is high street or high fashion, it is worth considering the legal requirements and safety aspects of collars.

As a dog owner, you have a legal obligation to ensure your dog wears a collar and tag listing your name and address when in a public place (1). It is also recommended you list your telephone number, but this is not a legal requirement. Wearing a collar is not a substitute for having your dog microchipped. Microchipping has been a compulsory legal requirement since April 2016 (2). These laws are aimed at reducing the time taken to reunite dogs with their owners, should they get lost, which has obvious benefits for both owners and dogs but also reduces costs to the local council for sheltering and feeding stray dogs.

Wearing a collar should be a positive experience for your dog, unfortunately, this has not always been the case. Electronic collars, that deliver an electric shock or noxious substance have been banned in Wales since 2010 (3) and bans have been now been agreed in England and Scotland. Aversive training methods with choke chains or prong collars, that involve causing pain or discomfort when the dog pulls on the lead, have been proven to compromise welfare and are best avoided. There are now a wide variety of tried and tested, more effective, positive reinforcement training methods to choose from.

A flat collar is the most common and practical collar for everyday identification and handling.  When these collars are fitted correctly, you should be able to comfortably slide two fingers between the collar and skin. If the collar is too tight it is likely to cause damage to the skin of the neck, so the collar fit should be checked regularly, particularly in growing puppies. It is better for the skin that these collars are removed when at home. The disadvantage of these collars are that they can be slipped when used with a lead. A frightened or aggressive dog may wriggle out of a flat collar when excited, this can be very stressful for owners.

Harnesses were designed for working dogs, such as Huskies, to pull heavy weights.  If you have a dog that pulls on the lead, a traditional harness will only encourage them to continue them to pull against you. 'No pull' harnesses are available, which attach the lead to the front of the chest, so when the dog pulls his whole body is redirected back to you.  Redirection is also the major benefit of using a head halter, by controlling the direction of the head it is easier to shift your dog's focus back to you if they try to pull. Harnesses and head halters both have the benefit of not placing any pressure through the spine or neck.

There has never been so much choice when selecting a new collar for your pet, not only the endlessly beautiful possibilities, but useful extra features too, such as GPS, activity monitors and potentially life-saving reflective stripes and lights. At Protect My Pet we want to help you make the right choices to keep your pet happy and healthy.

Written by Lindsay Rose MA VetMB CertAVP CertVBM MRCVS

Useful References:

1.  The Control of Dogs Order 1992

2. The Microchipping of Dogs (England) Regulations 2015, The Microchipping of Dogs (Scotland) Regulations 2016, The Microchipping of Dogs (Wales) Regulations 2015

3. The Animal Welfare (Electronic Collars) Regulations 2010

Do you know your pet's ideal weight? The answer is not something you can look up in a book. Common sense tells us we do not want our pets to be too thin, nor too fat, but it may not be so easy to tell when our pet's weight is just right. Dogs vary in size and weight more than any other species on earth, domesticated cats too have large differences across breeds. Therefore we can not use scales alone to judge an ideal weight, an obese chihuahua is never going to weigh more than an underweight Dobermann, and a muscular Norwegian Forest Cat will always tip the scales compared to a delicate Siamese. Body shape is not a reliable guide either,  after all an overweight greyhound looks quite different to a slender Saint Bernard.

Body Condition Score

Universal guidelines have been developed to help us to see beyond the number on the scales; using observation and touch they help us to judge whether an animal is within their ideal body weight range.  Vets refer to this 9-point system as the body condition score (BCS), 1 point for emaciation and 9 points for extreme obesity.  A score of 4 or 5 is considered ideal. Attached is the WSAVA (World Small Animal Veterinary Association) BCS guide – how many points would you give your pet?

BCS is useful for vets when reviewing case notes, if an animal has lost 2kg of weight and moved from a BCS of 9 to 7; then this is likely to be a positive change. If however, this 2kg weight loss has caused the animal to move from a BCS of 4 to 2; then this is more likely to be a negative change and the vet may wish to investigate.

Weight and Wellness

We all want our pets to live their best life possible.  Thinking about weight in relation to wellness is a refreshingly positive new attitude.  Modern science has proven a strong link between wellness and weight.  Your pet's weight will affect their health, but equally, poor health will affect weight, either increasing or decreasing it.  Whilst most disease processes, such as organ failure or cancer will cause weight loss, there are endocrine diseases, such as hypothyroidism or Cushing's disease, that will cause weight gain. You should speak to your vet about any noticeable changes in your pet's weight.

What If My Pet Is...Underweight?

To help keep our pets healthy we should aim to keep their body condition score within the optimal 4 to 5 range. Animals that are underweight (BCS 3 or less) should be examined by a vet to ensure that their weight is not caused by a disease process. If no illness is present, then your vet can help guide you in making a change to more energy dense food, feeding more and more often to meet your pet's energy demands. Undernutrition is uncommon.

Just Slightly Overweight?

The health benefits of restricting food intake is gathering increasing scientific interest, the idea has also been demonstrated to have benefits for dogs. A study¹ of 48 Labrador Retrievers found that dogs fed a restricted amount lived longer and had fewer chronic health problems than dogs that were moderately overweight (average BCS 6.5). This is not to say that we should not feed our pets enough, it simply demonstrates the clear benefits of not feeding too much.

On The Chubby Side?

Obesity is a growing problem for UK pets, in 2010 studies^2,3 found 59% of dogs and 39% of cats were overweight or obese. We now understand that excessive body fat increases the risk of health problems, including diabetes, arthritis, cancers, cardiovascular and liver disease. These diseases do not only shorten lifespan, but also reduce quality of life.

As our pets get older too, a trim waist means that they have less pressure through their joints, and therefore arthritis symptoms will be less severe. Maintaining an ideal weight becomes more difficult when arthritis is present, as the activity will be reduced. Feeding less to reflect the reduced activity will help to ensure that arthritis symptoms are not made worse.

How Do I Help My Pet Lose Weight?

Starting a weight loss regime and sticking to it can be difficult when your pet is looking up at you lovingly, pleading for another treat. When we love our pets, food is often used as a way of communicating that love to them. An effective weight loss program requires total commitment from all members of the family.

Feeding a balanced diet appropriate for your pet's lifestyle is the most important step and many low-calorie high-fibre diets are now available. Your pet should be regularly weighed and their diet adjusted as required.

Exercise too is an important factor and for people exercising their dogs, the benefits are mutual. For cats, engaging them in play activities can help to keep their bodies moving.

Many veterinary practices offer complementary weight clinics, where target weights and monthly goals can be discussed. A slow and controlled rate of weight loss is key.  Rapid weight loss can be dangerous, particularly for very obese patients, as a sudden reduction in calories can cause liver damage. Obese cats put on a crash diet, or that stop eating due to another illness, are at risk of their liver becoming overwhelmed with the quantity of fat reserves arriving in the liver to produce energy.

Ongoing Weight Checks

Being mindful about your pet's weight will help you to keep them within a healthy body condition score of 4 or 5. Your pet should be weighed regularly, at least twice a year, this will help you to quickly address any weight losses or gains.

Here at Protect My Pet accurate and up-to-date weights are essential to ensure we are sending your pet the correct dose of flea and worm preventatives. Please take a moment to check the weights we have for your pet are correct. If you need to update us with your pet's most recent weight, you can contact us here.

Body Condition Score for Cats: 

Body Condition Score for Dogs:

References

1. Kealy et al. (2002). Effects of diet restriction on life span and age-related changes in dogs. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. 220. 1315-20.

2. Courcier et al. (2010)  An epidemiological study of environmental factors associated with canine obesity. J Small Anim Pract 51:362–7

3. Courcier et al. (2010). Prevalence and risk factors for feline obesity in a first opinion practice in Glasgow, Scotland. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 12(10), 746–753.