My cat has worn a collar for many years and I have noticed that the fur around his neck has now worn away. It does not seem to bother him but I was wondering if it is wise for a cat to wear a collar.

My cat's all wear collars mainly so that people realise that they belong to someone :suspect:
It should be safe enough so long as it isn't too tight, those easy release collars are good too in case it gets caught on something.

Ianto's current collar also looks to be rubbing away his fur, its a little thicker than some, but we've yet to find a collar that can withstand him scratching and Loki hanging from his neck every 5 mins. We bought him a lovely soft Christmas one and it lasted for all of a day :rolleyes: Loki's collar is thinner and his neck looks fine.

It's perfectly normal for the neck to become bald where the collar has been. Some flea collars can cause inflammation, itching and soreness around the area, but standard collars generally don't and it's the only downside to wearing a collar for a short haired cat.

For long haired cats collars can be a source of extra coat knots which can cause grooming issues but for a cat which is properly looked after this should also not be an issue.

Bearing in mind that the collar is not causing discomfort, is there any good reason to take it off?

Does your cat go outside?

What happens if someone believes that your cat must be lost, can't prove it because he's not wearing a collar and takes him to the Cats Shelter or the RSPCA? Is he chipped for identification in case this happens?

What happens if someone believes that your cat must be lost and without an owner and takes him in themselves? Are they even going to check for a microchip?

also check if the collar becomes wet it can irritate them and a damp collar can also cause fungal infections

Thanks for the replies which were all useful. I can now rest assured that my cat can carry on using a collar.

Ruby wears a collar and has done ever since we've had her, mainly to show that she has a home and our phone number's on it just incase anyone ever needs to contact us about her. I always look for ones that have nice soft edges and that furry felt lining to try to minimise the rubbing but it has started to part the fur on her neck.

Ruby only goes out when we're in the house, so I do sometimes take her collar off while she's in the house and let her have some time without it.

My mum made me smile today ( we both massive animal lovers ) And there was a beautiful tort' shell cat on this garden. We both admired her as we walked past and then my mum bent down to stroke the cat and said, thats a beautiful murder collar. So i looked puzzled at her, and she explained that when i was a baby she had a kitten who 3 and 4 times aday kept bringing baby birds in, apprently shed take them from nests etc. So she got her tort'shell, a collar with a bell on and that cat never caught a baby bird again..
I had to smile the way she came out with it, im 30 yrs old now and ive never once heard her mention the "murder collar ." lol