What Is A Breakaway Cat Collar?

Expert Author Jackie Rosetti

Why would you want your cats collar to break? Is it the same thing as a safety collar? What's the purpose of a collar that breaks?

A breakaway collar is sometimes called a safety collar. The collar has a special clasp that will give way or open under a strain.

Cats love to climb. It doesn't matter if it's a cat tree, a real tree, your window blinds, curtains or simply shelving. They are especially enticed by moving objects above their heads whether it be a bug, bird or just about anything else that moves. So what does that have to do with a breakaway collar? Plenty!

This is a true story of how a breakaway or safety collar saved the life of a cat that just couldn't resist climbing on top of a wood pile while in hot pursuit of a mouse. There was a stacked pile of firewood stored in a covered carport for winter use and there was one agile cat that was an excellent hunter and a very good climber.

One day the cat spotted a mouse running in and out of the wood logs. He could not resist the mouse's invitation to get on top of the pile of wood and attempt to capture him. It only took a few seconds for the cat to climb right up to the top of that wood pile and attempt to catch this mouse. It was a good game for a while, the mouse had the advantage of running in between the logs and all the cat could do was try to stick his paws in between those logs and run from front to back of the stacked wood. The cat was adamant about having this mouse for his very own and was quite determined to capture and devour this mouse. This cat and mouse game went on and on, until the cat's collar became snagged in a wooden peg that had been placed against the wall to prevent the logs from leaning. It all happened so fast! The collar was caught and the cat made a move to jump down from the pile. Luckily he was wearing a breakaway collar. These collars are specially designed to break when weight is applied against them. When the collar became caught on the peg, the cat was literally hanging by the collar. The collar fulfilled its obligation to break from the weight of the cat. The collar broke open and the cat was released from what could have been a fatal situation. Even though the collar broke open to release the cat from almost certain death, it really was not broken, just opened. The collar worked just like new and was placed back onto the cat. A simple cat and mouse game could have cost this cat his life. Instead, the breakaway design of this collar truly saved his life!

Both indoor and outdoor cats can benefit from this type of collar, as cats are notorious for getting into things and being where they really shouldn't be. Breakaway or safety cat collars are about the same price as a standard collar and you will find them readily available from most pet collar manufacturers. A word of caution though, this type of collar should not be used to walk your cat on a leash unless the cat also wears a harness for the leash to be attached to.