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My spayed cat keeps getting out of her cone and vest. What to do?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed | 5 years and 2 months old | 9.9 lbs

We had our 5 year old cat spayed today and she kept taking her cone off so we bought her a vest, but everytime we leave the room she somehow manages to get out of it! What shall I do? She isn't biting the stitches, just cleaning them then leaving them alone. Thanks

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Megan, DVM, CVA

Veterinarian

Published on March 6th, 2018

You could try a baby/infant t-shirt to see if this will prevent her from getting to the stitches. You may also consider one of the inflatable collars that are more comfortable but still prevent them from licking incisions on their abdomen. You can usually find these are your local Petco or pet store. I hope this helps!

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Lauren Barry, BVSc, MRCVS, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on June 5th, 2017
I can totally understand how kitties like Alice can wiggle out of their cone or body suit. I'm glad you've tried both. I wonder if you could try another way of covering it - like a small baby onesie or even a small scarf around her belly? Check her wound at least twice a day and if it looks swollen or has a discharge you need to take her back to your vet for an exam and possibly antibiotics. Don't apply any creams to her skin unless your vet recommends something, sometimes they slow healing.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Dr. Elizabeth
Veterinarian
Published on June 25th, 2019
The photo is pixilated but it appears the incision looks red and may have a little gapping. If this is accurate, I recommend to have her examined by her veterinarian today. Make sure she is wearing an elizabethan collar at all times to prevent licking. You may also want to keep her in the bathroom or other small room without tall furniture to keep her activity restricted. Best of luck.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Smart Picks for Smart Questions

Related Questions

My spayed kitten is stressed, won't wear cone, biting stitches. Vets closed.

You can try to use a pet shirt or baby onesie to cover the stitches. Or make a belly bandage using whatever you have around the house - like clean dish towels and duct tape. If you have a small kennel or carrier, Bonnie may need to stay in there to stay confined since excessive running or jumping can cause internal sutures to loosen up and cause bleeding problems. You may call your vet tomorrow or look at pet stores for different styles of e-collars. Some are shaped like a cone, some are floppy like a sunhat and can be worn pointing towards the shoulders, and some are inflatable donuts.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

My cat keeps removing her cone after spay. How to protect stitches?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your cat. You can try feeding her collar through her cone to make it more difficult to remove. Make the collar snug, but make sure you can place at least two fingers underneath. If this does not help, you can try securing it around her neck and then under her armpits and back up. This attaches it more like a harness if you leave a long enough piece of a guaze tie. I hope this information helps!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My spayed kitten keeps taking off her cone. What are my options?

There are several different types of collars, so you may need to try a different kind. Some are hard plastic. These you need to feed over a collar or some thick string to secure it on the neck. Not too tight, but tight enough that it cannot easily slip over the ears. Another kind is a soft, floppy blue fabric-like collar. These are useful in cats because they can either go forward over the head or backwards to cover the body. When Oreo tries to lick her incision, it should scoot down to cover her. Another type is shaped like a bowl. It uses velcro to secure over the head. These are very effective but not very comfortable since they can be very heavy for kittens. Another option is to get a small baby onsie or kitten body suit. You can cut a small hole so that she can still go potty and for her tail to fit through. Another type of suit is called Suitical Recovery Suit for Cats - it has great reviews!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My spayed cat is pulling stitches. Is this normal or harmful?

Hi there. No, we definitely don't want Leia to pull her stitches out! If your veterinarian did not provide you with an e-collar (plastic cone) to prevent this, you need to get one ASAP from a pet store and put it on her. You could also use a snugly fitting T-shirt or something similar to cover the incision so that she can't get to it.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Help! My spayed cat won't keep her cone on. What should I do?

I would recommend taking the e-collar off and keep her in a closed room with you. most cats won't open the spay wound and in her case i think the cage and the collar are causing her too much stress. if you see that she is licking the area obsessively- put the collar back on.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

Spayed cat licking incision: When to worry and how to clean?

Cats are little stinkers! You may have to try a longer than normal rigid e-collar, or you can look for the bowl style that are used in cats. You could try a large tube sock as a dress (cut holes for head and arms). You could attach string or elastic to make "stirrups" that pull the shirt down. As for cleaning, a warm wet washcloth is all that is needed. Though, since it appears red and swollen, I would recommend taking her to the vet for evaluation and possibly to start antibiotics.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Training & Behavior

My spayed cat hates her cone. How to keep her from licking stitches?

Yep, she definitely needs it even if she freaks out unfortunately. She may need some sedative medications to help from your veterinarian. There are different types of ecollars too like plastic, soft, innertube like, etc. Maybe try a different type. Good luck

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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