Answer: Collar and harnesses can provide some means of identification. This can take the from of a transparent name panel on a ‘flea collar’ or an engraved identity disk (or small tube containing your name and address on paper) attached the cat’s leather collar or harness. Unfortunately, if a collar gets hooked on a branch as the cat climbs a tree, the animal can be left dangling from it and is gradually strangled. For this reason, only cat collars with an elastic panel in them should be used, the intention being that they will scratch sufficiently for the cat to continue breathing and to get its head free. Unfortunately, in struggling, the cat may turn round and round and use up the slack in the collar, so that eventually it is still asphyxiated. Some quick-release fastening, e.g. of Velcro, would clearly be the advantage to prevent this type of mishap.
An adjustable harness, securely fitted, is safer then a collar, although again it can get caught up and level the cat scratched. Certainly, a harness is better then a collar when training a cat to walk on a lead (leash), If walking on a lead is to be taught, the lead should initially be long enough to permit the cat some freedom to move around (six to seven feet), but as it become use to walking nearby (ideally alongside) this can be shortened. A light leather lead, or one of canvas or of cord, is suitable. Most pet shop leads are about four to five feet long. The clip at the end of the lead should preferably be of the bolt type rather then the spring clip type which sometimes becomes firmly fastened to an area of skin and can only be removed by being sawn apart. Chain leads and collars, e.g. ‘choke’ chains (cheek chains), are too heavy to be worn by cats.
