Kitten Collars 101: What I Use From Birth to 10 Weeks

Keeping track of a litter of tiny floofs can be tricky — so here’s my go-to collar system from day one through to 10 weeks old!

Birth to ~4 weeks

I use these soft elastic bands from Amazon – super gentle on delicate necks and perfect for those early days. I cut the ends about 1cm long so there's room for adjustment as the kittens grow and they usually get a replacement at about 2 weeks of age.

Elastic Bands - Amazon or Temu

Adjustable elastic collars available online. These are perfect for newborns but can become a hazard once they start play fighting! At all stages I use as few collars as possible.

4 to 8 weeks

Once they start growing and playing more, I switch to these double-sided Velcro collars (also great value on Temu!). I usually trim the ends and replace them around 4 weeks as they grow:

30pc Velcro Collars - Temu

Velcro collars available very cheaply online, can be trimmed to size.

8 weeks and older

At this stage, I move to proper kitten safety collars — lightweight, adjustable, and designed to break away if needed. These are great as they start to explore more: There are plenty of options online eg Temu

Kitten collars from Temu. These collars have a quick release catch on them and rounded kitten ears on the buckle so they don't cause pressure injuries. Note that I take the little bells off them as they frighten the kittens.

When each kitten goes to its new home I take the collars OFF as cats don't need collars in most instances (except for bird deterrence or for tracking. I use them purely to tell kittens apart and use as few as possible. Each stage helps me track weights, health, and personalities safely and comfortably Let me know if you have any favorites!

#KittenCare #BreederTips #KittenCollars #NewbornKittens #CatBreeder #KittenGrowthJourney