Can I take the cone off my cat?

L
Leakebli34 Icon representing the flag French
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Hi everyone,

My girl was spayed on Friday morning. When we got home that evening, she pulled her dressing off straight away. I took her back to the vet on Saturday to get a cone fitted. It's now Sunday, so she's had it on for over 24 hours, but she isn't moving, eating, drinking or using her litter tray. I tried taking the cone off so she could eat something, but she still didn't drink or go to the toilet. I had to put it back on because she's trying to pull at her stitch. I really don't know what to do... I'm wondering, if I leave the cone off, will she actually pull the stitch out? Just to clarify, she's only had one single stitch since Friday. It breaks my heart seeing her like this, she's really not coping with the cone at all. I've taken the lid off her litter tray and tried putting her water bowls at different heights, but nothing seems to help... does anyone have any advice?

Thanks in advance.

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8 answers
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    • N
    Nihiliya Icon representing the flag French
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    My cat was spayed this morning. After her previous mastectomy where she wore a recovery suit (which caused me a real nightmare: she peed on herself the first day and managed to wiggle out of it by herself the following days), I've opted for the cone this time. She seems even more bothered by it though, and my biggest worry is that she'll manage to get this one off as well.
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    ?
    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Sorry, I missed your post, but both my girls have been spayed now. The first one last month, the second one last Thursday. They both wore a recovery suit:

    At first, they found walking a bit tricky, but they soon get used to it.

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    ?
    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    In Caitline's case, it might be justified (with the eye being temporarily stitched up), but yeah, for neutering, it's definitely better to look at alternatives.

    On that note, I've seen that some people have come up with new types of cones for cats, but I don't know if they're actually any good.

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    Werewolf1
    Werewolf1 Icon representing the flag French
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    I’ve heard the cone isn’t exactly great…

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    C
    Caitlinebbc Icon representing the flag French
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    Thanks for your reply! I’ll keep the cone on him then, and I’ll ring the vet tomorrow to get a recovery suit — thanks, I hadn't heard of those before. I’m a student with no kids, so unfortunately I don’t have any baby grows or old clothes I can sacrifice 😭 Hi! My little guy has also been wearing a cone for 8 days now (corneal herpes ulcer) and the first few days were really tough; he barely moved and just didn't seem to have the heart for anything. On the vet's advice, I'm giving him a Zylkene capsule (a calming supplement) and some Bach flower remedies with a dropper. In those first few days, I was trying to encourage him to eat, drink, go to the toilet and move around a bit without doing absolutely everything for him! Don't lose heart, even if it's heartbreaking to see their little faces like that, they do get used to it bit by bit! 🙂
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    L
    Leakebli34 Icon representing the flag French
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    Thanks for your reply! I’ll keep the cone on then. I’ll give the vet a ring tomorrow to get a recovery suit—thanks, I hadn’t heard of them before. I’m a student with no kids, so unfortunately I don't have any baby grows or old clothes I can sacrifice 😭
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    ?
    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Hi,

    Like Monique, I’d recommend either a recovery suit or a bandage if you don’t have a suit.

    Hardly any cats get on well with the cone; I really don't think they're right for cats.

    It all depends on their size, but if you haven’t got either, you can always improvise for now by cutting up an odd sock if the cat is small, or some old tights if they’re bigger—just make sure to put a gauze pad over the wound to stop any rubbing or irritation.

    Translated from French
    M
    Mike64 Icon representing the flag French
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    The danger if you take her cone off is that she’ll lick the wound... she might cause an infection or even pull out a stitch... by licking it, the rough surface of her tongue will just damage the scar...

    And it’s not just a 24-hour thing; it takes at least 8 to 10 days before it’s fully healed.

    You can take the cone off, but you’d have to keep an eye on her 24/7 to make sure she doesn’t touch it... alternatively, you could put a baby grow on her to cover the wound. Plenty of people do this, and some vets even provide them...

    You can also make one yourself using a baby grow—there are tutorials online—or you can buy "recovery suits" from pet websites.

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