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

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!

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.

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!

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.

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!

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.

If you see your cat licking the surgical site, then he should wear an e-collar. It can be difficult to get one on cat that can prevent him from licking completely, so you may have to get a really large one.