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How Do Breakaway Cat Collars Work?

Supakit breakaway buckle leather collar

Wondering how breakaway cat collars work and how keep your cat safe? In this article we explain how they function, keep your cat comfortable and safe, and what to look for when selecting a good breakaway buckle collar.

How Do Breakaway Cat Collars Work?

Breakaway collars, or quick-release collars, are designed to open under force. So, if your cat catches their collar on a potentially dangerous obstacle, the collar will release, keeping them safe.

Are Breakaway Collars Good For Cats?

Yes, breakaway collars are good for cats. They are considered the safest collar option for cats.

If your cat hates its collar, click here.

Breakaway vs Non-Breakaway Cat Collars

The main difference between cat collars that have breakaway buckles and those that don’t, is safety.

Cats are curious creatures who are capable of exploring very tight spaces. Sometimes whilst exploring or chasing wildlife, a cat collar can snag on a tree branch or other obstacle which is potentially dangerous. If the cat is wearing a breakaway buckle, the buckle will open and release the cat. Collars without breakaway buckles makes it harder for your cat to escape these situations, trapping your cat and resulting in potential injury and distress.

Best Breakaway Collars for Cats

The best breakaway safety collars for cats are collars that are designed to provide cats with the upmost safety, protection, and comfort. Here at Supakit, our breakaway buckle collars come in natural high-quality materials which cats love! Their slimline and lightweight design allows them to hug the neck, feeling virtually undetectable to the cat, and vastly reduce the risk of collars snagging and coming off with the adjustable strap.

With our passion for safety, we are also proud to be only of the only brands to offer our breakaway collars with a choice of two breakaway buckles. There’s our standard ‘adult’, for fully grown cats, and then there’s the ‘kitten’ - for lighter weight cats that require a more sensitive breakaway buckle to match their lighter bodyweight. We understood the need for this because we’re cat owners ourselves.

Related: Best Cat Collars Compared

How To Put on a Breakaway Collar?

The best way to put on a breakaway collar your cat is to do it gradually. Cats are naturally wary of new things so even if your cat is used to wearing a collar, you may want to slowly introduce your cat to the sight, smell and feel of this new collar, making sure they’re comfortable before allowing them to wear it full-time. You can follow the process outlined in our collar introduction guide.

How To Clean a Breakaway Collar?

The best way to clean your breakaway collar is to follow the product care guide issued by the manufacturer. If you have a Supakit collar, you can follow our product care guide for how best to care for your collar.

How Often Should You Replace a Breakaway Collar?

You should replace a breakaway collar as often as you need to. Although it can be frustrating when your call loses their collar, breakaway collars are designed to come off when your cat is caught in a sticky situation! However, you can vastly reduce the risk of losses by ensuring that your cat’s collar has a body-hugging streamline design, and is fitted correctly.

Related: Collars that stay on - Supakit

Are Breakaway Collars Reusable?

Yes, breakaway collars are reusable. They can be your cat’s full-time collar but if the collar releases, be sure to check there is no damage to the buckle before putting it back on your cat.

How To Buy The Right Size of Breakaway Collar For Your Cat?

In order to buy the right size breakaway collar for your cat, you want to measure your cat’s neck and check this against the adjustability of the collar. A snug collar fit is really important for safety and comfort.

It’s also important to consider if the ‘strength’ of the breakaway buckle is suitable for your cat. At Supakit, we introduced a breakaway buckle collar specifically for kittens. This allows our collars to be suitable for cats at all life stages. Our kitten breakaway buckle is suitable for cats that weigh between 1kg - 2.5kg (2.2 lbs - 5.5lbs), resulting in a breakaway buckle that require less force to trigger the safety mechanism.

Related: How Tight Should a Cat Collar Be?

Quick Release vs Breakaway Collars

Quick release collars and breakaway collars are typically synonymous when referring to cat collars (it can mean slightly different things in relation to dog collars). Quick release or breakaway collars contain a buckle that opens under pressure, releasing the collar from the cat’s neck.

Related: Should I Put a Collar On My Indoor Cat?

Conclusion

Breakaway buckles are the safest collar option for your cat. We hope this article has helped to understand how they function, keep your cat safe and how to choose a great breakaway buckle collar.

Read more on Cat Safety here.