Should Maine Coons wear collars?

Should Maine Coon cats wear collars? It's a question posed by the owner of the website Maine Coon Central and I think the question is not a great one to be perfectly frank but it does just about need to be addressed which is why I am writing this article.

Maine Coon cat wearing a collar. Photo by Warren Photographic (modified by MikeB) and used with his express permission.

You could ask the same question about any domestic cat that goes outside. Cat collars normally contain an identification tag. Cats that go outside might get lost. The ID tag can help them be reunited with their owner without recourse to having to scan for a microchip.

The thing is though that it is probably exceptional for a Maine Coon cat to be allowed to go outside unsupervised. Quite rarely people take them outside on a harness and lead to allow them to explore the outside and be mentally stimulated. However, under these circumstances you don't need a collar with an ID tag for obvious reasons (unless they escape but a good escape proof collar can be purchased).

And I can't see the necessity for a collar on a Maine Coon cat confined to the home unless it is for decorative, aesthetic reasons. Cat collars "dress up" a cat. They can actually look very attractive and make the cat look more attractive. The picture on this page is an example.

So that is a possibility, but some cats will dislike wearing a collar. Although they will get used to it. But why force a cat to get used to it when you don't need a collar? There is a little bit of meanness in doing that. Therefore you should not put a collar on a Maine Coon cat if they are confined to the home and/or they mind wearing it.

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Another reason for wearing a cat collar is that it can deter predation on birds. But these are very large, colourful collars. They are picked up by birds which makes them more likely to spot a domestic cat who is preying on them. They are fairly effective. I would recommend them if a Maine Coon cat is allowed to go out into a garden around which there is a cat confinement fence which keeps them in that garden.

However, I would suspect that there aren't many cat confinement fences surrounding the backyard or back garden of properties in America or the UK for instance. I would recommend a cat confinement fence of some sort if you have a suitable garden without trees near the boundary and if you live with a Maine Coon who is very keen to explore the outside (but safely).

We all know about cat collars that can harm cats in a variety of ways. Cat collars should be quick release so that they don't get caught up on something and strangle the cat.

I've also seen cat collars containing insecticide as a flea treatment to which the cat has become allergic causing hair loss and injury to the skin of the cat. I wouldn't recommend these flea collars myself.

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But a full-time indoor Maine Coon cat might still get fleas because they can be brought into the home by their owner or by a dog companion. And therefore the owner might like to put a flea collar on their Maine Coon cat. I think great caution has to be exercised with any product containing insecticides as these are poisonous.

Another issue with cat collars is that sometimes people put them on when their companion animal is a kitten and leave it there until they are an adult without checking it. They can become too tight and harm the cat.

Cat collars are slightly problematic in general and therefore care needs to be taken.

My mind turns to another cat collar protection method for birds being preyed upon by cats. Some people put bells on collars. Because they ring the bird hears the cat approaching and flies off.

I recall that this method of bird protection is unsuccessful because domestic cats, in their wisdom, learn to keep their head and neck very still when they approach a bird preventing the bell from ringing. You might find that hard to believe but it is true.

Should Maine Coon cats wear collars? It's a personal choice. Personally I wouldn't do it. Maine Coon cats have a natural barn cat heritage.

The cat fancy places a lot of emphasis on their naturalness. Put a collar around a Maine Coon cat and he or she no longer looks quite as natural. They look as if they are possessed by a human being. That is another reason why they should not wear collars.

P.S. Can you think of a good reason why a Maine Coon should wear a collar? Please comment.