My cat becomes very upset and spastic when he gets a collar put on.

Question
Dear Teresa,

I have finally decided for the 2nd time to try and put a breakaway collar on my 2yr old cat who weighs ~ 12lb. The first time we tried a collar he would constantly lick, bite, and scratch at it until he literally rips it to shreds and takes it off. So i took off the collar after a day or two put it back on and found it torn in half.

Recently i got him another collar about 1 year later from the past incident. As soon as i put it on he runs 2 feet stops and freezes and starts violently licking his neck. Then will run around possesed stopping then licking. Then itching then licking etc. Rinse and repeat.

I always make sure i cant fit atleast 1 finger underneath his collar at the throat area. At first it was to loose and he could actually get it in his mouth. So i tightened it and now it has about 1 pointer finger space between his throat and collar. It is going on day 2 and he is still behaving not like himself. It really gets on his nerves. Is there anything I can do and is this normal? I don't want him to be traumatized for life because of this collar. He has the best personality and this collar is ruining it making him psycho!

Thanks,
Rich

Answer
Hi Rich, I really had to laugh when I read your question because I think you and I have the same cat !! I have one that does the same thing with a collar ! What I have done is started using a harness instead. A harness does not go all the way around the neck and it is impossible to get off ! Put it on the same as you did with the collar and with just a finger fitting between it and the cat. The cats still roll on the floor and pretend that they are dying but they get used to it within a couple of hours. You can then just use a harness for him OR you can then switch him back to the collar as he will be more accustomed to wearing something and will be more complacent. Also try to distract him with treats when you first put it on. He will associate wearing it with bits of salmon or??
Good luck, Teresa