Pet Accessories

Fitting a collar or harness

The standard check is two fingers: you should be able to slide two fingers flat between the collar and the neck, no more and no less. Check the fit monthly on a growing animal. For cats, use a collar with a quick-release safety buckle so it pulls apart if it snags.

A harness gives more control than a collar for walking, and is safer for flat-faced breeds and for any dog that pulls, because it takes pressure off the throat.

Carriers

A carrier should be tall enough for the animal to stand without crouching and long enough to lie flat. Hard-sided carriers with a top opening are much easier to load a reluctant cat into than front-loading soft bags.

Leave the carrier out as furniture rather than producing it only on vet days. A carrier that is a normal part of the room, with a familiar blanket inside, turns a fight into a non-event.

Bowls

Stainless steel and ceramic are easier to keep genuinely clean than plastic, which scratches and holds odour. Wide, shallow bowls suit cats better than deep narrow ones, which press on their whiskers.