After a few minutes she came into the bedroom crying. While I was in the kitchen I had fed her, and I knew her water dish was full and clean. So, I didn't really know what it was that she could possibly want. So I ignored her, which made her even more animated. Eventually she jumped on the bed and walked back and forth in front of me, howling all the time. I decided to follow her into the kitchen and see what it was that she wanted.
When she entered the kitchen she jumped on one of the chairs, which was above the red item still on the floor. Once I got closer, I saw that it was her cat collar. I don't know how her collar could have been removed from her. But it was clear that the collar being off was her big problem.
Once I put on her collar, she was a happy cat again. She disappeared in the bowels of the house, not to be seen again for hours.
Collars are a cat's identity. They feel naked without it. We think that when we take off a pet’s collar, we are giving them a break. However, it has become clear to me over the years, that a collar becomes a cat's sense of self. They feel lost without it. Cats like to feel that they belong to someone, just like people.
