Best Comfortable & Safe Cat Collars for 2023
There are many things you need to think about when you’re looking for the right collar for your cat or kitten. Let’s take a look at some of the most important things you need to consider right now.
Best Cat Collars
Here are our top picks for cat collars in 2023, by types and styles:
Best Breakaway Cat Collar
Winner: 'Noir' Black Breakaway Leather Cat Collar
Pros:
- High quality breakaway safety buckle
- Luxuriously soft leather band
- Natural scent puts your cat at ease
- Double lined for extra comfort
- Removable bell
- Lightweight and slim fit
- Available in adult cat and kitten sizes
Best Leather Cat Collar
Winner: 'Scarlet' Red Breakaway Leather Cat Collar
Pros:
- High quality breakaway safety buckle
- Luxuriously soft leather band
- Natural scent puts your cat at ease
- Double lined for extra comfort
- Removable bell
- Lightweight and slim fit
- Available in adult cat and kitten sizes
Best for Cats Who Hate Collars
Winner: 'Emerald' Green Breakaway Leather Cat Collar
Pros:
- High quality breakaway safety buckle
- Luxuriously soft leather band
- Natural scent puts your cat at ease
- Double lined for extra comfort
- Removable bell
- Lightweight and slim fit
- Available in adult cat and kitten sizes
Best for Large Cat Collar
Winner: Quick Release Cat Collar - Deep Blue Spotted
Pros:
- Quick release safety buckle
- Super soft textile collar
- Waterproof
- Fray resistant
- Made from recycled ocean plastic
Best for Eco Friendly Cat Collar
Winner: Quick Release Cat Collar - Strawberry Pink Spotted
Pros:
- Quick release safety buckle
- Super soft textile collar
- Waterproof
- Fray resistant
- Made from recycled ocean plastic
Best Personalised Cat Collar
Winner: Cat ID Tags - Custom Engraved
Pros:
- Hard wearing
- Easily identifiable
- Up to 4 lines of custom info including your 's name
- Generic front for privacy on photos
- Split ring for easy attachment
Best Luxury Cat Collar
Winner: 'Midnight' Blue Breakaway Leather Cat Collar
Pros:
- High quality breakaway safety buckle
- Luxuriously soft leather band
- Natural scent puts your cat at ease
- Double lined for extra comfort
- Removable bell
- Lightweight and slim fit
- Available in adult cat and kitten sizes
Best Cat Collar That Stays On
Winner: 'Mint' Green Breakaway Leather Cat Collar
Pros:
- High quality breakaway safety buckle
- Luxuriously soft leather band
- Natural scent puts your cat at ease
- Double lined for extra comfort
- Removable bell
- Lightweight and slim fit
- Available in adult cat and kitten sizes
How to Choose a Cat Collar
Size
It’s very important to get the right fit when you’re buying a collar for a cat. If your cat’s collar is too tight, it could become uncomfortable or hazardous. If their collar is too large, it could rub against their fur, get caught in their mouth or become snagged and lost as they explore. Fortunately, the majority of cat collars are adjustable, so you’ll be able to achieve a perfect fit!
Depending on the style of adjustable collar you have, you can shorten or lengthen them using punched holes or a sliding buckle. We’d always recommend the sliding buckle style as it gives you much finer control over your cat’s collar length.
It’s also important to keep checking that the collar fits, especially if you have a kitten. Kittens grow incredibly quickly during their first few months. Make sure you follow your collar manufacturer’s guidance on fitting. Here at Supakit, our collars are designed to be comfortable and lightweight enough to be worn with a snug fit. For a Supakit collar we advise that you can fit one fingertip between your cat’s collar and their body when it is on.
If you need to measure your cat’s neck, you can do this with a fabric measuring tape. Alternatively, use a strip of paper or even your hands to take a rough gauge, before laying them down flat on a ruler.
Related: Cat Collar Size Guide
Materials
Cat collars are made from various kinds of materials. These include polyester, cotton, hemp, cork, nylon and leather. Each of these comes with its own set of pros and cons. For example, one option may be very durable but not incredibly comfortable for your cat. You’ll need to think about how the collar band material will smell to your cat (scent is a very important sense for our kitties!), whether it will wear or fray, and how flexible and lightweight the material is.
Overall, look for a material that is soft, lightweight and flexible, so that it can move with your cat as they go about their daily adventures. It needs to be strong enough to resist fraying if scratched at. However, if the material is soft and comfy enough, your cat shouldn’t find their collar irritating so any scratching should be minimal. It’s always beneficial to find a collar made from a natural material such as leather or cork because the natural scent will put your cat at ease in their new collar.
One last important consideration is to make sure the material on the inside of the collar is as soft and gentle on kitty fur as the outside of their collar. Often, collars can have rougher internal linings (for example a rough suede lining on a leather collar). This is the part that’s in constant contact with your cat’s body, so it’s essential that it’s smooth and can glide across their fur. Here at Supakit, we double line all of our collars so that the inside is as soft and luxurious as the outside.
Related: Shop Kitten Collars
Safety
If you are looking for a cat collar, make sure that you seek out a safe one that’s unlikely to leave your cat hurt or stuck if they get caught by something. Quick-release and snap opening collars are particularly safe options. These collars pop open to release your cat to stop them from becoming stuck.
Elasticated collars can be dangerous. If your cat does become stuck whilst wearing an elasticated collar, they could tangle themselves further whilst they attempted to free themselves. Avoid collars that have gems or studs as your cat could choke on these if they come loose. If your cat has access to the outdoors, a reflective strip or glow-in-the-dark coating can keep your cat visible after dark.
Comfort
Comfort is extremely important when it comes to cat collars. This is why it’s so important to look for something that’s manufactured from soft materials and has good feedback from pet owners.
Identification
If you use a cat ID tag or have your cat’s details embroidered into their collar, it’s more likely that they will be found if they do go missing. A collar also tells others that your cat has a loving home, rather than being a stray or community cat.
Durability
A good quality cat collar should last a long time, so it’s worth investing in a higher quality collar over more disposable types that start falling apart after a few days or weeks. There are two key things that can help your cat’s collar last a long time:
- Find a comfy one! If your cat is comfortable in their collar, they won’t try to scratch at it and take it off, which means their collar will stay on, and in good condition for longer.
- Get a perfect fit: If you are able to achieve a good fit, you can also reduce the risk of your cat’s collar getting snagged, falling off and getting lost.
With these two pieces in place, you should find that your cat’s collar can last for years before it needs to be replaced.
Do collars stop cats from killing birds?
A collar on its own can’t stop cats from killing birds, but you can use your cat’s collar to carry an anti-hunting device that should cut down their hunting activities.
Anti-hunting devices include collars with bells, other sound-based devices and brightly coloured bibs. You can read more about the science of how a collar with bells can discourage cats from attacking birds here.
How to fit your cat’s collar
Once you have found a great cat collar, the next step is to fit it correctly. If you are choosing a Supakit collar, they are fully adjustable in length so you don’t need to check your cat’s neck size before purchasing. If you are choosing a different brand, you may need to measure your cat’s neck to find the ideal size before you make your purchase. It’s essential to ensure the collar fits properly if your cat is to remain safe and comfortable. If the collar doesn’t fit properly, there is an increased risk of collar losses, snagging and discomfort for your cat.
Adjustable models are ideal for those seeking a perfect fit. If you are fitting a Supakit collar, we advise that you adjust the length so that you can fit one fingertip only between your cat’s collar and their body when it is on (with fur compressed). Other collars may be designed for different fits, so be sure to check the manufacturer’s instructions.
Overall, you want to make sure that the collar is loose enough to not put any pressure on their neck, but tight enough to stop it from getting snagged, or allowing your cat to get their collar in their mouth.
Should I use a collar to walk my cat?
Cat collars are not suitable for walking a cat, so you definitely shouldn’t attempt this. Cats have delicate necks and a collar and leash could put dangerous pressure in this area. In addition, any quick release mechanism would make the collar likely to fall off as your cat pulls on their leash.
Instead, you can use a cat harness if you want to take your cat out for a walk. Cat harnesses are specifically designed for this situation. They are much better at stopping your cat from escaping, and they ensure pressure is distributed across their chest and body instead of placing it all on their neck.
How effective are flea collars? Should I purchase one?
There are many flea collars available on the market. The collar band releases an insecticide flea treatment designed to combat fleas on your cat. Some flea collars contain chemicals that kill adult fleas, some contain chemicals that stop their reproductive cycle, and others contain both types of chemical.
Depending on the type they provide varying amounts of protection against fleas (1). However, these collars can cause skin irritation and they don’t always come with quick-release functionality. In most cases, a spot on treatment, tablet, feed additive or injectable will provide more effective control (1).
If you do want to buy a flea collar, it’s best to obtain one of the newer ones from your vet. Ask your vet if they can recommend a flea collar.
What types of are available?
There are many different types of on the market. Let's take a look at some of the most popular right now for both indoor cats and outdoor cats.
Breakaway collars come with buckles. These are designed to come apart should your cat become caught by their collar with their weight hanging from it. The market is home to a wide range of breakaway collars. These include reflective and glow-in-the-dark collars that make your cat more visible at night. There are also novelty ones available including bow-tie collars.
The best breakaway buckles will come with a weight rating so that you know how heavy your cat needs to be for the safety buckle to activate correctly. For example, a Supakit adult size collar is safe for cats over 2.5kg / 5.5lbs, while the Supakit kitten size collar is specially designed for smaller, lightweight cats over 1kg / 2.2lbs.
If you can’t find the weight rating for your cat collar’s breakaway buckle, contact the manufacturer to check that it will break away safely under your cat’s current weight.
Personalised collar
Personalised collars have key details printed or embroidered onto them. These can include your phone number. They can be ideal for cats who dislike having tags hanging around their necks.
Waterproof collar
Waterproof collars often consist of waterproof synthetics but they can also be made from natural materials such as cork. Waterproof collars are perfect for cats who like to go adventuring outdoors, and particularly those who enjoy swimming or being around water. They can also be handy in multi-cat households where one cat often grooms the other in the neck region!
Flea collar
Cats can be given flea collars instead of oral or topical flea treatments. Flea collars can be used for several months before you need to replace them, but they can have varying results and can cause skin irritation in some cases. We recommend consulting your vet before you decide to apply a flea collar to your feline friend.
Calming collar
Calming collars are usually manufactured from smooth webbing. This webbing includes synthetic pheromones that have the same effect as the ones emitted by nursing mother cats, or naturally calming compounds such as valerian. These active ingredients are released during the day whilst the collar rubs against the cat’s fur. You can expect a calming collar to last around a month before you need to replace it.
Tracking collar
Despite their name, GPS tracking collars aren’t actually collars. They are in fact small devices that are attached to collars. With a GPS tracking device, you can remain fully up to date with the whereabouts of your cat. You will normally need to pay a monthly subscription for this service, and you can use an app to see where your cat is and has been. You can read our full round up of tracking devices for your cat here.
Avoid shock collars
Shock collars are readily available on the market, but they are very controversial and we would strongly discourage their use in all cases. The idea of a shock collar is to provide a swift jolt of pain when a cat does something you don’t want them to do. However, it can be hard to time this right, and you’re far more likely to end up with a fearful, uncomfortable and anxious cat than a well-behaved one if you use this kind of collar. In fact, feline behaviour experts advise that shock collars can worsen bad behaviour.
If you do wish to improve your cat's behaviour, it’s far better and more humane to try techniques like rewards-based learning and positive reinforcement. These methods also improve the way you and your cat communicate and prevent them from being frightened of or intimidated by you. If you do wish to learn more about positive reinforcement training, a veterinary professional can provide the guidance that you need.
Final Thoughts
We hope you enjoyed our article on the best cat collars for 2023.
Scroll back up to choose the collar that's right for your cat, or alternatively read some of our related articles below:
Verweis
- Williams, R. E. (2009). Veterinary Entomology: Livestock and Companion Animals. United States: CRC Press.
