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Homemade ID tag with label maker works well
published 02/01/2004
Q: I applaud your recent column in which you advocated ID tags for all pets. My cat Violet was losing her collar every few days, each a nice one with a tag and bells. I decided I couldn’t afford this endless supply of replacement collars, and I hypothesized that the tag was the reason for the losses.
As an experiment, I equipped a collar with a tag made from a Brother P-touch label-maker. I wrote her name, our street address and phone number, then peeled off the backing, slipped the strip through the D-ring on the collar and pressed the two sides together. The combination has a jaunty look, and many months later neither the collar nor the label have disappeared. Would you pass this tip along? –- C.S., via e-mail
A: Your ingenuity reminds me of another suggestion for putting identification on cats, which a friend gave to me many years ago. She would order cloth labels, the kind you put in children’s clothing, with her name and phone number. Then, she would get elastic from the fabric store, and cut it into strips for a snug, but not tight, fit around her cats’ necks.
She’d put the ends together, add the cloth tag and slip the new collars on her cats. The collars are easy to make up several at a time, and cheap enough to replace frequently if lost. Because they are made of elastic, they’ll slip off if a cat gets hung up on something.
Whatever method you choose, do be sure to get an ID on your pet. Even better, add a microchip for permanent ID that cannot be removed or slipped off.
Sometimes people think they don’t need ID for their cats because the animals never roam. Indoor cats need tags just as much, maybe even more. Should they slip outside they’re going to have an even more difficult finding their way home, because they’ll be afraid and in unfamiliar surroundings.
ID is a cheap ticket home, for all pets. Even my parrot, who never goes outside, is equipped with a microchip ID, just in case.
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