Current Events > Cat people of CE, I seek your council

(+) Yeah! (+)

I had my two cats neutered today. Once I picked them up and brought them home, they immediately tried to lick their surgery mark, so I put those lamp shade cones on them. Obviously they don't like it and they're still getting adjusted as we speak, but it's gotta be done in order for them to recover properly.

However so far I've noticed that both cats have managed to get out of their cone once, and immediately tried to clean and scratch their belly. I can get it back on and it'll stay put for a while, but I'm worried that when I'll be off to work during their recovery period, they'll manage to get their cone off again.

Does anybody have any experience or constructive advice on this matter? The vet's office is closed right now, so I can't contact them for advice at the moment.

Also, obligatory cat pics:
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/9/901901fb.jpg
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/f/f573b14c.jpg
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/7/75a9bd96.jpg

cone of shame!

I had to use a fabric covered knew that had like a regular collar it so it could be tightened appropriately without digging into my cat. We had the same issue of him slipping out of the other ones. They were relatively cheap and available at our vets office. Amazon maybe?

I recently had to use a ecollar for my cat who had to get a toe amputation for an infected nail bed. Yeah it was bad.

Anyway she was a good girl and didn't need solutions, but the two that came up the most were tying it into a collar (I would look up how tos to do that properly if you go that route) or fabric collars, which they're less likely to get out of, since they tend to get around the reason why cats resist traditional ecollars, whisker fatigue.

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]

I made a suit for my cat when I had to leave her alone. They're pretty easy to make out of socks, but you need to get the measurements right so it fits well. As others have said, there are other types of cones you can get that might fit better as well.
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/9/9358be89.jpg

Yah try a different cone

It depends on the cone. There are various ways you can tighten it to make it harder to take off.

But you can look into ordering another cone or some kind of donut.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/9/9fb4754b.jpg

Also consider putting them in cages while you sleep. Cats want to run around and jump on things at night. If you can't supervise them, limit their movements. They can have full freedom again after they have healed.

Nothing to offer. Both of our girls were fixed when we adopted them as kitties

Jabraham posted...

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/9/9358be89.jpg

this cat is illegally cute

Error1355 posted...

this cat is illegally cute

Yes, she's great!https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/2/25a88f5d.jpg

Jabraham posted...

I made a suit for my cat when I had to leave her alone. They're pretty easy to make out of socks, but you need to get the measurements right so it fits well. As others have said, there are other types of cones you can get that might fit better as well.
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/9/9358be89.jpg

Rofl that's hilariously practical. I love it.

Jabraham posted...

I made a suit for my cat when I had to leave her alone. They're pretty easy to make out of socks, but you need to get the measurements right so it fits well. As others have said, there are other types of cones you can get that might fit better as well.
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/9/9358be89.jpg

I love this idea and want to steal it. Can you show where on the sock to cut the holes?

Devilanse333 posted...

I love this idea and want to steal it. Can you show where on the sock to cut the holes?

https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Cat-Sock-Onesie

This covers it pretty well.

You can also get a baby onesie/bodysuit. My friend got one for their cat and it seemed to fit surprisingly well.

I tried putting my cat in a onesie and dude straight up laid there like he was paralyzed. He actually preferred the cone

Hambo posted...

You can also get a baby onesie/bodysuit. My friend got one for their cat and it seemed to fit surprisingly well.

This is because cat is baby.

TC's Cat reminds me of the one i used to have (2nd-3rd one) before my prior deceased cat.

it was a black DSH, one day she went into the woods and never came back. they gotten a taste of the outside. the other cat was the same color but a DLH but it gotten ran over by a car in the highway. somebody removed the cat's body but i was told about what happened.

Jabraham posted...

https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Cat-Sock-Onesie

This covers it pretty well.

Thanks! Going to buy some socks this weekend for kittys new outfit.

DrizztLink posted...

This is because cat is baby.

Correct.

Adorable cats. Never had 1 of my own but I take care of a few strays in the neighborhood.

Thanks for the advice so far. I'll keep an eye out those onesies. I guess I could order one, but ordered stuff generally takes about a week to be delivered (in my experience at least, even when a website says it's delivered a day after ordering), and the recovery period takes ten days, so if I'm gonna get one, I better get one locally.

Jabraham posted...

I made a suit for my cat when I had to leave her alone. They're pretty easy to make out of socks, but you need to get the measurements right so it fits well. As others have said, there are other types of cones you can get that might fit better as well.
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/9/9358be89.jpg

That's pretty creative and admirable. Unfortunately I absolutely suck at sewing or anything textile-craft-related. I'd very likely end up with a pile of cut-up socks and nothing that fits.

On the other hand, I consulted the vet's office, and they recommend I use a string or something like that to tie through the cone's holes. I've carefully done so with some bandage in a way that it's tight enough to keep the cone in place, but not so tight that it chokes the cats. That seems to be working for now.

Although the vet's office told me that I could keep the cones on the cats for rest of the recovery period (as long as they can eat, drink and use the litter box), although I am thinking I should remove the cones at some point so they can clean themselves properly.

I think another issue with that cat sock is that it covers up their genitals and butts, so while TC is at work, the cats would just mess themselves.

TC Tux cats are the best. My boy Lightning has been through it all with me. Loss of Both friends, 2 moves, through all my health problems. He lost both his brothers at a early age, Rain and Thunder. I wonder if he stills remembers them. He also had a older female "roommate" for a few years. My dad joked and said he's gone through similar life experience you have.

vycebrand2 posted...

TC Tux cats are the best. My boy Lightning has been through it all with me. Loss of Both friends, 2 moves, through all my health problems. He lost both his brothers at a early age, Rain and Thunder. I wonder if he stills remembers them. He also had a older female "roommate" for a few years. My dad joked and said he's gone through similar life experience you have.

I wonder how Lightning took it when he lost his brothers at the time. I'm guessing if it happened when they were very young he likely would've adapted to the sudden change more easily.

My two kitty girls (Meera and Yuri) actually have another sister. Ideally I would've adopted all three of them, but considering I live alone and my apartment is not too big, I decided that two cats was the maximum I could properly care for, reaslistically.
Choosing between them was very hard, but I have to admit that one deciding reason was the fact that the third cat was fully black (with slightly greener eyes than fully black Meera), and I could tell them apart more easily if one of two I'd adopt had white socks.

Tired: cone of shame
Wired: little T-shirt

GeminiDeus posted...

I think another issue with that cat sock is that it covers up their genitals and butts, so while TC is at work, the cats would just mess themselves.

You'll cut out the back so they can still relieve themselves. You just need enough fabric to go around the hind legs.

SoIidLegacy posted...

I wonder how Lightning took it when he lost his brothers at the time. I'm guessing if it happened when they were very young he likely would've adapted to the sudden change more easily.

My two kitty girls (Meera and Yuri) actually have another sister. Ideally I would've adopted all three of them, but considering I live alone and my apartment is not too big, I decided that two cats was the maximum I could properly care for, reaslistically.
Choosing between them was very hard, but I have to admit that one deciding reason was the fact that the third cat was fully black (with slightly greener eyes than fully black Meera), and I could tell them apart more easily if one of two I'd adopt had white socks.

Rain he was closer to. Lightning black and white, Rain Grey and white. I know they miss litter mates soon after. He would cuddle up on my lap most of the time. I think it faded. Now the older female they got along great until I started to move to my friends place. It was just a few days and when I went to go move them he had trapped her in a desk. I was able to move her and I tried to load her into the van. She jumped out of my arms and ran. I spent days calling for her, put postings out. Never found her. As far as He was concerned. He wasnt

vycebrand2 posted...

Rain he was closer to. Lightning black and white, Rain Grey and white. I know they miss litter mates soon after. He would cuddle up on my lap most of the time. I think it faded. Now the older female they got along great until I started to move to my friends place. It was just a few days and when I went to go move them he had trapped her in a desk. I was able to move her and I tried to load her into the van. She jumped out of my arms and ran. I spent days calling for her, put postings out. Never found her. As far as He was concerned. He wasnt

Dang, that really sucks. It can be so unpredictable how a can just suddenly decide to dart off just like that. That's also one of the reasons why I never let cats run loose outside. I'm super paranoid that something scares them to the point of running away, or that they get hurt or something. If I let them outside, it's always on a leash.

Day 3 of the recovery:
I must admit, it's both sad and cute how Meera and Yuri awkwardly go through the day with their cones. Like sometimes I see them trying to scratch an itch on their head or neck, but they can't reach because of the cone, so then I help them by scratching the spot they're trying to reach, and then they loudly purr with this intense look of relief.

I call 'em "Scoops" when they are in the cone.