Is your kitty a convict? None of mine are, but they should be. Matt Inman, the creator of The Oatmeal, has created what he calls The Kitty Convict Project, and it is why your kitty should be a convict. The Kitty Convict Project aims to get parents of indoor-only cats to “dress” their cats in orange, so that they’re better seen and identified if they escape.
What on earth is the Kitty Convict Project trying to do?
By “dress” your cat, The Kitty Convict Project means put an orange collar or scarf on your cat, complete with her ID tags (like a convict). Orange is bright and reflective, and makes a cat hiding in bushes or undergrowth easier to see. Why is this so important? Because every year, 7 million pets go missing. 26 percent of dogs are found, though, while less than 5 percent of cats are found.
This disparity is partly because more dogs wear collars, but also because cats are harder to see. It’s also because we don’t often see stray dogs running around, while we all see stray cats. When someone sees a cat without a collar, they’re likely to just assume that it’s a stray. If it’s a dog, they’ll try and find out to whom it belongs.
The Kitty Convict Project also says the disparity is because cats are harder to see. Orange doesn’t blend in very well with natural surroundings, and people who see something orange in the bushes may go investigate. An owned cat that’s hiding is frightened, but she may come to you if she’s familiar with people.
This is as opposed to a feral cat, which a) won’t have a collar of any sort, and b) will run from you no matter what.
Now you know what color collar to get your indoor-only cat
I’m guilty of not having my cats wear collars and ID tags, even though it’s always a good idea. They are microchipped, but a collar with an ID tag plus a microchip is a your best chance of getting your lost cat home again. When we do get collars for our cats (and we will get them), they’ll be orange, so that if they escape, they have a better chance of getting seen.
To see what The Kitty Convict Project is trying to do in full, check out this neat infographic on their website.
Images courtesy of the Kitty Convict Project
