I’m rather critical of collars for cats. The main reason for this is the high risk of injury , which particularly exists in cats that are allowed outside. There is no danger with this DIY paper cat collar!
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A collar can become a death trap for cats
The cat can easily get caught on a branch or something similar with the collar , panic and strangulate itself, which can lead to serious injuries and even death.
But of course, despite the danger, cat collars also have a use: With a collar, everyone can immediately see that a cat belongs to someone – with an address tag, the cat owner can also be easily identified. Of course, you can also identify the cat owner via a tattoo or a chip – but both methods require that the cat’s finder visits a veterinarian or an animal shelter.
A GPS tracker or a tracking device for cats can also be attached to a collar , with which a lost cat can be easily located.
Of course there are safety collars for cats – but the really good and safe ones come at a (high) price, from 20 euros and up. So why not just make a 100% safe cat collar yourself?
The safe cat collar made of paper
I came across a really good idea on Facebook about how you can make an absolutely safe cat collar yourself out of paper.
You can easily make the cat collar yourself and it is 100% safe – because it is made of paper! The special Chromolux paper is used, which has a glossy and a matte side and is available in different colors.
Craft instructions
All you need to make the craft is Chromolux paper in the desired color, a ruler, a printer or waterproof pen, scissors or cutting machine and scotch tape.
- Use the ruler to make guide lines on the back (matte side) of the Chromolux paper in the desired width of the collar
- You can write your address between the lines with a weatherproof pen. Alternatively, you can use a PC and a printer to create a Word file with guides and an address and print it on the Chromolux paper
- Use scissors or a cutting machine to cut off the individual collars
- The scotch tape serves as a closure
- The collar can be easily slipped over your cat’s head
Durability and safety of the collar
Of course, a paper collar doesn’t last forever, especially for outdoor cats. You have to replace the collar about every 6-8 weeks – or if the cat gets caught on something and it tears. However, you can make around 2000 collars from a pack of 100 sheets of Chromolux cardboard for less than 10 euros – so it’s not that bad that they don’t last that long. A collar only costs a few cents , depending on the type of decoration.
If you want to attach a tracking device or a GPS tracker to the paper collar, you should pay attention to when the collar starts to look worn out and change it in good time. Fortunately, if your cat ever loses the collar and tracking technology, you can easily locate it using GPS or a tracking device.
