Evaluation of Collars and Microchips for Visual and Permanent Identification of Pet Cats

In this experiment, 538 cats were randomly assigned to wear either a plastic buckle, breakaway plastic safety buckle, or elastic stretch safety collar. Microchips were also inserted between the scapulae of the cats. At the end of six months, owners completed questionnaires regarding the collars and researchers found that 391 (72.7%) of the cats studied successfully wore their collars for the entire duration of the study. Owners' expectations of the cats' tolerance of the collars and the number of times the collar was reapplied were important factors predictive of success.

The type of collar influenced how often the collars needed to be reapplied. Eighteen (3.3%) of cats caught a forelimb in their collar or caught the collar on another object or in their mouths. Of the 478 microchips scanned at the end of the study, nearly all (477) were functional.

Researchers concluded that most cats successfully wore their collars and recommended that all cats wear identification collars. Owners should select a collar that the cat will most likely tolerate and check it frequently for proper fit. Microchips are an important form of backup identification since collars may come off of some cats frequently.