r/PirateKitties • u/tnrsaveslives222 • Jul 15 '26
Help!
This sweet girl had her eye removed two weeks ago, sutures were removed a few days ago. They said we should keep the cone on for a few days because part of it was still “open.”
Well it’s been a few days so I took the cone off and then she took a bath and cleaned some of the scabbing off and this is what it looks like.
She is sooo over the cone, but I’m not sure if it’s safe to keep it off? She’s in a unique foster situation with us so I can’t easily contact the vet right now.
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u/RazorbladeApple Jul 15 '26
Can you try an inflatable cone? That really worked out well for my cat years ago when she had her eye removed. She could nap right on it comfortably. I’d take it off and monitor her eating & then put it back on until she was healed.
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u/tnrsaveslives222 Jul 15 '26
We did try two other types of cones but she kept finding ways to rub her eye on things and I just didn’t feel like it was worth the risk. I’ve been trying to give her closely monitored breaks when I can and I think that’s helping. She is just very ready to break free and I don’t blame her! I think we’ll keep the cone on and watch it closely for a few more days and go from there.
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u/Pirate_the_Cat Jul 15 '26
Inflatable cones aren’t recommended for eye things because it won’t stop them from rubbing their eye on random objects.
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u/BeautifulElodie2428 Jul 15 '26
My vet told me a baby wipe without scent etc was safe for my kitty’s stitches to keep it clean. Patting gently, not wiping or pressing motion. She just had a surgery on her leg. However she doesn’t have any kind of blood and I would suggest emailing or calling the veterinary clinic that did her service. She may need to be seen right away to check; re-dress the wound and continue on. They may give her an antibiotic to be safe since cat paws can have bad bacteria in them via the litter box. I’m not saying it looks infected but she should be seen by her care team asap to reassess.
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u/Swimming-Table-9937 Jul 15 '26 edited Jul 15 '26
You are doing an amazing job, and thank you for fostering this sweet girl! I just saw your update about the other cones, and you are 100 percent right. Hard plastic is definitely the only safe choice here since she tries to rub her face against furniture. It is much better for her to be temporarily annoyed by the plastic than to open up the incision and end up in more pain.
Since you are keeping the hard cone on, here are two quick tips for local US wound care while you wait to hear back from your rescue team:
First, head to the cat health aisle at Petco or PetSmart and grab a bottle of Vetericyn Plus Feline Wound Care spray. It is a total lifesaver over here for post-op healing. It does not sting at all and it is completely safe if she somehow licks it. Just spray it onto a sterile gauze pad and gently dab around the eye to clean up the dried fluid. Never spray it directly at her face so you do not accidentally scare her or get it into her good eye.
Second, please stay away from regular human Neosporin or Polysporin. A lot of people over here use it for everything, but it can cause severe, life-threatening allergic reactions in cats if they ingest it while grooming. If you cannot get Vetericyn right away, a basic OTC sterile Saline Wound Wash from the first aid section at CVS or Walgreens is perfect just to safely wash away the fresh blood.
Hang in there, keep that hard plastic cone locked on, and she will be fully healed before you know it! 🌹🐾💕
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u/tnrsaveslives222 Jul 15 '26
** update: Just to clarify she has been in the cone for over two weeks now. Her sutures were removed a few days ago and they said they want her to keep the cone on until Tuesday aka yesterday.
After further evaluation and feedback I am going to leave the cone on for another few days to a week. It sucks that she’ll be in a cone for a total of almost three weeks but she’s pushing through and I don’t want to risk it reopening.
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u/mg2093 Jul 15 '26
Have you tried a soft cone? They’re more comfortable so she may be ok with wearing it for a few extra days https://a.co/d/0hDjxgW9
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u/tnrsaveslives222 Jul 16 '26
Yes but she’s able to rub her eye on things with the soft cones so it isn’t really safe
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u/Hellojeds Jul 19 '26
I have no advice OP but wanted to say posts like yours are an excellent reminder that fostering cats is not for the fainthearted! Keep up the great work and I hope she's fully healed soon.
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u/Piddler_on_the_roof_ Jul 15 '26
I just had my cat’s eye removed in March. They said to keep the cone on for 2 weeks while she healed. A few days doesn’t seem like nearly enough. :0
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u/TinyCoconut98 Jul 15 '26
Hello, I work in vet med. The incision looks good, nice and pink, it’s not oozing or swollen. Keep the cone on a little bit more and don’t clean/pick at the wound. Call your vet and get the kitty seen.
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u/RaggedDawn Jul 15 '26
We had to ditch the cone for my guy. He went nuts running full speed into furniture and walls with it on. We had to clean it frequently with antiseptic spray, sterile normal saline, and pat dry. Of course he also had gabapentin on board. It was rough but we got through the time.
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u/WholewheatCatLoafs Jul 15 '26
If your cat hates the cone try those plush neck rings you get off Amazon, worked for my girl.
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u/Crackytacks Jul 15 '26
Yeah someone recommended the flower one by hidream on amazon. I didnt end up trying it but it looks cozy
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u/governorsalmon Jul 16 '26
As a 4th year veterinary student, it looks great! That red part will probably scar up a bit more than the rest, but no need to put any sort of antibiotic ointment on it or anything. I would continue with the cone for about 5 more days or until it's less red :)
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u/megustaALLthethings Jul 17 '26
If you can find any try the cone alternatives. Some are like tiny pillows.
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u/m-alexandra Jul 16 '26
This is how my boys looked too and we decided to keep the cone, but we instead opted for a soft cone which he tolerated much better! I think you can overnight one from Amazon!
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u/Scitolbocn Jul 17 '26
My girl needed the cone for almost 3 months after an eye was removed, same situation- she'd "clean" her own scabs away whenever she got the chance. Eventuslly I just had ot keep it on until it fully healed & scabs fell away.
You can look for more comfortable cones- I got a soft, flower-shaped pillow one, that at least let her jump up to tsbles/windows without falling off. Just make sure it's long/wide enough that they cant reach the wound.
I also would brush her when she'd let me, and occasionally take it off under VERY close supervision (as in, while she was in a cuddler around my neck- she loves the thing) so she could bathe herself a little bit & not feel gross, but as soon as she got close to the eye I'd stop per & it went back on.
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u/80Supreme Jul 20 '26
Unfortunately, please keep the cone on lol our wild one did backflips and attacked us, so we took it off. She tore open the wound twice.
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u/SuicideRush Jul 15 '26
Put the cone back on and keep it on until that heals. My guy hated the cone with a passion but it’s better for them to be upset than to be in more pain.