Why Every Cat Should
Have Identification Tags

By Teri Champigny

Does your cat have an ID tag that will help get him back to you should he become lost or hurt? Identification is very important to ensure that your beloved pet does not get displaced for any reason.  A standard ID tag which hangs around your cat's neck from a collar will do the job just fine.

All collars that you can buy for your cat are made out of very lightweight material and will leave plenty of room for your cat to move his head around without strain. Some pet owners do not put collars on their animals for fear of something getting caught on it and causing their cat to choke.  However, you do not have to worry about this as most collars are designed to give a cat plenty of room to wiggle out should he be trapped on something. Just be sure not to buy a small dog collar for your cat by mistake because dog collars are designed to keep them from escaping, while cat collars are actually made to help your cat escape from a dangerous situation.

Creating Your Cat's Identification Tag

Once you have found the appropriate collar for your cat's neck size it is time to order your ID tag.  These tags will come in very durable plastic material with a wide variety of shapes and colors for you to choose from.  If you browse online you will find many suppliers who will even custom-make your ID tag for you.  For example, I found a great place online that even made my cat's ID tag out of reflective material.  This makes me feel better when my cat happens to be outside at night and will cause any oncoming cars to see him because of the light's reflection off of his ID tag.

When you order your tags be sure to get the pertinent information on them.  Remember that this is an important identification tool and not just a fashion statement, so while it may be cute to just put your cat's name in quotation marks, your goal here is to ensure that someone can look at the tag and be able to reach you in case of an emergency.  Your address, telephone number, and an alternate number is all you need.  You may put the cats name on the tag if you wish, but when it comes to cats they do not really come when they are called, so it may be just a waste of space.

In addition to the above information that must be placed on your cat's tags, you may also want to consider placing a small bell to hang from the collar.  This may sound cheesy to some people, but it is actually a very good idea that will help your cat remain safe from other larger predators (especially the local neighborhood dogs).  When being chased, your cat's movements will create the bell sound to ring very loudly and this will deter many chasers  from continuing the race.  This ringing sound actually scares away most dogs from trying to pounce on a fleeing cat.