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I would also look into microchipping. I have had many "stray" cats come in that have lost their collar-most collars can be taken off by the cat themself (my cats are an expert at this!) or if they sustain some sort of trauma, they can fall off. We now check for microchips on all of our incoming strays and our local pound is doing the same. Check and see if your local animal shelter/pound checks for microchips. AVID microchips are recommended, not the kind that are sold by Vet smart. The ones that are sold by Vetsmart (also known as Banfield) cannot be read by most scanners. Three of my cats are microchipped and even though they are indoor only, one of them likes to escape to the outside once in awhile so I feel much better knowing he is microchipped (I've tried to keep a collar on him but he manages to get it off every time).
By no means am I saying that you should not use collars-if your cat will keep it on then have him/her wear one. The safety collars are easier to get off (thats what they are designed for). I personally have not had a cat come in that choked from a collar getting stuck on something but it probably could happen-thopugh IMO rare.
I do recommend some type of identification if your cat goes outside b/c if they get lost/injured and are brought into my clinic I will be more likely to treat and go all out knowing the cat has an owner and then of course try and contact you or the chip company. I have seen many sweet reunions that may not have happened if the cat or dog was not wearing a collar or had a microchip.
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