Putting a Collar On Your Pet

It can be difficult to place the first collar on your new pet -- especially if you have a new kitten. Try using a catnip toy to distract the cat's attention from the new feeling of wearing a collar. By the time it finishes playing with the new toy, it may have forgotten the collar entirely.

Pain in the neck

Keep in mind that collars do not expand, but puppies and kittens grow quickly! If not loosened, collars can literally grow into your pet's neck -- an excruciating, constant pain. So check your pet's collar at least every week until it is full-grown (that can be more than a year for large breeds). You should be able to easily slip two or three fingers between the collar and your pet's neck.

If you have a cat, be sure to buy a "break-away" collar that can easily break if it gets stuck on something. This will prevent the collar from strangling your cat.

However, don't let this simple task stop you from putting a collar and an ID tag on your young pet, just in case it slips by you and gets lost

*This article was reprinted with permission from the American Humane Association.