One of the easiest ways to ensure the safety of your indoor/outdoor cats is to make them more visible, particularly to drivers who most likely won’t spot them when it’s dark outside until it’s too late. Cats are crepuscular, meaning they are most active at dawn and dusk. In other words, cats that have access to the outdoors are most likely to be roaming their neighborhood streets during these two low-light times of day.

(The safest place for your indoor/outdoor cat to be at night is indoors, but we recognize that’s not always feasible for all cat owners.)

Since getting your cat to wear a reflective safety vest when they go out probably isn’t going to work, your best option is to invest in a reflective collar. These collars reflect back the light of the moon, streetlights, or car headlights several times over, making your cat much more visible, even from far away.

At Coastal Pet, we offer several types of reflective collars for your indoor/outdoor cat.

Lazer Brite Reflective Adjustable Breakaway Cat Collar

One of our brightest options, the Lazer Brite selection of cat collars uses the same 3M reflective material that safety professionals use. It’s visible for up to 600 feet away and is easily spotted by motorists. Its breakaway design ensures that if your cat snags the collar on a gate or tree, the collar will break open instead of choking him.

Safe Cat Reflective Snag-Proof Adjustable Breakaway Collar

Coastal’s line of Safe Cat accessories for cats are designed to keep them safe, no matter where they spend their time. We love this one because not only is it reflective and breakaway, it’s also snag proof. Meaning, your cats’ claws can’t get stuck in the collar if she scratches at her neck or tries to pull it off.

ElastaCat Reflective Safety Stretch Collar with Reflective Charm

Designed for cat owners that don’t like breakaway-style collars, this stretchy collar is elastic enough to slip over your cat’s head, should he get caught on something. The reflective threads are woven into the material so the entire collar catches the light. Plus, the reflective “meow” charm adds a second layer of visibility. The collar is completely adjustable as the buckle can be inserted anywhere for a perfect fit for your cat’s neck.

Safe Cat Glow in the Dark Adjustable Breakaway Collar

Unlike reflective collars, which catch light (from car headlights or lampposts) and reflect it back, this collar has patterned shapes that “charge” during the day when exposed to sunlight, then glow a hard-to-miss neon green when it’s dark. With that said, these are a better option for cat owners who are afraid of stepping on their cat during late night trips to the bathroom and not as effective for alerting drivers to your cat’s presence on the street.

Li’l Pals Elasticized Safety Kitten Collar with Reflective Threads

We’ve listed this one last, because while it is a reflective collar, we do not recommend cat owners let their kittens out overnight. Kittens are particularly hard for drivers to miss and with only reflective threads and not a fully reflective collar, it doesn’t afford as much protection as our other options. It’s best for after-the-lights-are-out kitten spotting in the bedroom or on your way to the bathroom. The elastic material is also great for your kitten’s early months as it accommodates her growth up to 8 inches.