Ah-Ha. New study says 3 out of 4 cats don't hate collars. Really.

Now I don't feel so guilty.

Researchers in a new study (published in a recent issue of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association) found that, despite the popular conception otherwise, most cats adjusted to wearing a collar just fine.

Proper fit is the key, they said -- you should be able to fit two fingers between the neck and the collar.

Almost three out of four cats in a new study wore collars consistently during a six-month study, suggesting that most cats will tolerate a collar even if their owners are skeptical about its success.

..... Convincing cat owners that their pets, even indoor-only cats, need identification is "a tremendous uphill battle," said Linda Lord, assistant professor of veterinary preventive medicine at Ohio State University and lead author of the study.

"A lot of people start out with the dogma that cats can't wear collars, that they won't tolerate them or that they're dangerous. Now pet owners can look at this research and, if they own a cat, maybe they will now consider that they will be able to put identification on them. A collar with an ID tag is probably a cat's greatest chance of ever being re-homed or brought back if it is lost."

Researchers tested three types of collars -- plastic buckle collars, buckle collars designed to detach when caught on something, and elastic stretch safety collars.

Only a few of the 333 cats tested lost their collars. The story I read didn't indicate if researchers recommended a particular kind of collar for cats.

Annie has an adustable break-away collar (with a bell, although lizards are apparently quite deaf). This is her second collar. The first one that I purchased last October when I adopted her eventually frayed. Granted, that first collar was a major ordeal to get on -- she resisted firmly -- and she managed to slip or squirm out of it a couple times. About the third time, she gave up and it stayed put.

Some people told me I was "mean" to put a collar on my cat a year ago. But knowing she'd eventually learn to navigate through the doggie door and would wind up outside for at least part of the time, I felt that having a visible ID on her was imperative.

She accepted this new collar very readily (it's a little bulkier than I thought it would be, to be honest, and wider than her first one -- I ordered it online). Still, I had no trouble putting this one on.  

Annie also has a microchip. But I feel easier knowing she's also got an easy-to-check ID tag (reflective on the back side for night visibility) that includes my phone # in case she gets lost.

What's your experience been with cats and collars?