Health & WellnessWhy is my cat freaking out and hiding after getting a new collar?
Poor Nala! I'm sorry she's upset! First of all, if there is any noise making part of the collar (a bell, a jingle, or even a tag hitting against a buckle, etc) that may be freaking her out. Secondly, if she is a strictly indoor cat, its reasonable to not worry about keeping a collar on her at all, though I would recommend that she be [microchipped](https://www.petcoach.co/article/the-importance-of-microchipping-your-pet/) in case she ever does get out. The feel of this color, or maybe the smell, could also be the issue. If its the smell, you can set the collar out in your house for a few days, put it in her bed, or under your pillow, and try again in a few days.[ Feliway spray](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/feliway-spray) may also help--this is a pheromone product that you can spray on the collar, which should help it have a more soothing effect. If it is the feel of the collar you can either decide to give her time to see if she gets used to it, or just punt the idea of a new collar.
Again, for what its worth, its not wrong to NOT have a collar on an indoor only cat.
I hope that is helpful for you! Thanks for asking PetCoach!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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