How to Size Cat Collars

A cat collar should be tight enough to stay put, but loose enough for comfort.

Cat collars come in a variety of shapes, sizes and functions. Because cats are exploratory by nature, they can get into all kinds of mischief, and sometimes bind their collars on static objects. A break-away or elastic collar will allow a cat to wiggle free if the collar gets caught on something. However, you wouldn't use one of these with a leash, since the cat could easily get away. Therefore, you may require two collars: an everyday, break-away/elastic collar and an inflexible, nylon collar to be used with a leash.

Things You'll Need

• Cloth tape measure

Instructions

1. Wrap the cloth tape measure snugly around your cat's neck. Don't choke the cat, but you want to get a measurement of the neck, and not a lot of extra fur.

2. Add 1 inch to the measurement for added comfort, without allowing the collar to slip off. As an example, if you measured 8 inches, you would actually use 9 inches as the measurement.

3. Purchase a collar that fits that measurement. Usually, collars are expressed as a range, since there's adjustments. In the example, you might choose one that advertises 7 to 10 inches.

References

• The Cat Site: Cat Collars Safety Guide
• Pet Product Advisor: How to Select the Best Cat Collar
• Pattern & Paw: Collar Sizing
• Sylvans: Cat & Dog Collar Sizing