By Chrissy Iley
We all know it is a phenomena, pets and pet owners grow to look alike… or do they? Is it a fact that our pets are in some way an expression of our egos, alter or otherwise? It is why we see dogs or cats in Gucci dresses, they are expressing their owners love, not just of Gucci but of all that stands for; elite designer brands.
Most football teams have their strips available for babies and how many dogs have I seen in Newcastle wearing the black and white strip. A cat’s collar, therefore, is an important accessory not just to the cat but to the cat owner. On black cat appreciation day Mister sported his new collar by Kittyrama in tangerine. His human was saying, “Look. Black cats matter, I stand out,” as we selected for him a collar in vivid tangerine with a little fish charm on it – there were no charms for chicken liver available so he’ll go as tuna. He loves his new collar because it is so comfortable, it’s made out of this gorgeously soft jelly type fabric and its vivid collar doesn’t fade with wear so he will always stand out. Some cats don’t like a collar, but their owners like to collar them to make the statement that they are owned. A stray cat with a collar is not a stray, it’s a cat that may be lost but was cared for enough to be bought a collar.
In the past various cats have removed various collars, one cat removed about twelve pretty, glittery, diamond studded affairs because that was my statement; my expression of love. She was allergic to leather which, when you think about it, makes sense. Cats eat meat but they don’t necessarily want to wear it.
Kittyrama collars are hypo-allergenic, breathable and waterproof. The nature of the silicone minimizes the presence of moisture that can get trapped between neck and collar so no more cat sweat rash, itching and constant scratching.
The day before Mister’s tangerine collar arrived by mail I had considered a hand made Swiss collar for him but I felt it was too heavy and would irritate his neck and even though I love to dress up cats for fun, a collar is something that should feel like a second skin. He was so grateful when his comfy Kittyrama one arrived. The collar clips in but has an expandable buckle like a belt so it fits easily around his large 28cm neck. He was pleased to read that there is no toxic materials and the collar has a super snug clasp so no hanging from trees while chasing squirrels (he only does that in his head).
Lola, my white cat, went for a purple and navy collar called the Monte Carlo with a little crown on it because she thinks she is a princess, she liked it immediately especially when we told her that International Cat Care have deemed the Kittyrama collars to be worthy of a cat friendly award after the collars were put through rigorous testing with twenty cat experts.
Kittyrama collars come in six stand out shades, gorgeous greens and elegant lilacs that match any color of cat coat. They are priced at £9.99.