When Lily went missing from her Ingle Farm home in April 2022, her owners hoped their cat would be safe and that they would be reunited as soon as possible, but as time passed they feared the worst had happened.
Three months later, a member of the public saw Lily and posted a photo of her to the Lost Pets of SA Facebook page. A Senior Rescue Officer from RSPCA SA made contact with the person who had seen Lily, and soon found the kitty almost 2km away from home. She was wandering the streets in Para Hills with one front leg through her collar, making it so tight it had cut her skin and embedded into her neck. After taking the cat into care, the emergency vet team was quick to remove the collar and start treating the infected wound, along with bathing and clipping the very scruffy cat.
Her owners told us that Lily often found herself with a foot stuck through her collar at home, but they were always there to help the trapped cat.
When she went missing, there was non-one to help and she was unable to pull her foot back out from the non-stretch collar. As it was firmly buckled, the lack of give meant Lily was left stuck within the collar as she traversed the suburbs.
Due to the risks they pose to cats, RSPCA does not recommend the use of non-stretch collars with fixed buckles like the one that injured Lily. Stretch collars can be similarly dangerous, as they lose elasticity as they age and can also trap and injure cats.
If you want to put a collar on your cat, RSPCA recommends a quick-release collar that comes undone when pulled with force. These collars allow for a cat to be easily identified as a household pet, without risking the cat getting trapped in the collar, or hooked on to objects that they brush past.
Identification can also be attached to quick-release collars, in the form of an engraved tag, embroidery on the collar itself, or even a GPS tracker.
To give wildlife warning of a roaming cat, it is possible to add a colourful collar cover, ultrasonic beeper, or anti-pounce bib. However, for the safety of both cats and wildlife, RSPCA advocates containing cats to their properties or keeping them indoors. In some council districts, you can be fined for allowing your cat to roam off your property.
