h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

These are an insane invention. As mentioned, cats can frequently strangle themselves, either by catching the collar on something or by trying to paw the collar off. Cats are acrobats as we all know and will do anything to get the Strangle Device off. This can result in the cat getting one leg through so that it cuts into the skin at its elbow. Often the cat then goes missing for days or weeks and returns home only when its realised its dilemma. Usually by this point, the resulting wound is dreadfully infected and often with maggots. Nasty. My advice......don't use collars ever and flea collars aren't effective anyway.

We've had horrible experiences with collars. One of our cats is extremely sensitive to just about everything, and has tended to lose the skin around her neck whenever a collar is kept on. Also, something you might add if you get the chance: collars made of a woven material can, when clawed at as they unavoidably will be, actually shrink around a cat's neck and choke them. None of our cats were actually injured that way, but I doubt it's an experience they'd like to repeat. The only collar I've seen work is the one our oldest is wearing now(to hold ID tags), which is a simple, thick leather one, loose enough to fit a few fingers in, with a simple metal buckle. She seems fine with it.

We always put flea collars on our cats - but they were always the safety collar type, with the bit of elastic and then they snap if any weight is put on them. Jasper and Tiger (two cats of sacred memory) used to hang themselves deliberately once they'd figured that one out...

My favourite bit was trying to put the collar on the cat - somehow, they just KNOW. Generally, they act calm, let you take the old one off, then

Only furry.