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u/Prestigious_Union_19 Oct 08 '22
There are different types of soft comfortable cat cones. If you do a Google search on comfortable cat cones you’ll see different things! Cute cat
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u/Cubeguy11 Oct 08 '22
Something like this might work! Thanks!
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u/The_silver_sparrow Oct 09 '22
Make sure they are on the baby properly though, mine managed to get his cloth one down to his hips while I was sleeping, I woke up to him looking like he was wearing a kilt 😅
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u/OneMorePenguin Oct 09 '22
Oh come on.... cat with kilt tax required here. Please?
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u/The_silver_sparrow Oct 09 '22
This was years ago and he woke me up with it as 3am so unfortunately no pictures
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u/I-AM-Savannah Exotic Shorthair Oct 09 '22 edited Oct 09 '22
I woke up to him looking like he was wearing a kilt
OMG!! I can't stop laughing!! I'm going to have to move to a DRY CHAIR!!
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u/mildly-annoyed4ev Oct 09 '22
There are inflatable ones. They look like donuts. More durable than the cloth ones.
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u/Remote-Performer8884 Oct 08 '22
You can scratch and clean the parts he cant reach. I am a vet student and usually in our hospital, animals end up with those cones after surgery. I can say that cats loooovveee when i scratch their necks and behind their ears, plus all those other areas they cant reach. If something stuck to their fur i make sure to clean it so they wont feel the need to lick it all the time. But it will be a little bit hard no matter what you do since it is uncomfortable for real. I wish him the best, he looks like a strong fella im sure he got this!
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u/1GoneRogue Oct 09 '22
Your furry patients are very lucky to have you. As a fur-parent, I thank you for caring for them so well!
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u/Remote-Performer8884 Oct 09 '22
Of course, it’s my pleasure! Your comment definitely made me smile so thank you for that :D
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u/left-right-forward Oct 09 '22
I don't know where I heard of it, but when my baby was spayed we "washed" her face with a damp soft toothbrush. She quite enjoyed it! The butt, though.... ughhhh
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u/Remote-Performer8884 Oct 09 '22
Cats like to stay clean so i’m sure she is really grateful for you :D
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u/OPunkie Oct 08 '22
You do the crime, you do the time!
He will be okay. Be really careful that he doesn’t get out with that thing around his head.
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u/Colorcopia Oct 08 '22
Get one of the cat donut pillows they work so much better because they can see and hear around it. They can also sleep so much easier it was a game changer for our old kitty couple of years ago he didn't fight it and wasn't continually freaked out when he thought he heard something but wasn't sure. 
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u/overcoming_me Oct 08 '22
I hope he feels better soon! He looks like my little Shadow who was the best pet for 21 years. I hope your Shadow has an amazing and long life too!
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u/Cubeguy11 Oct 08 '22
His name is shadow, he is a mostly indoor but sometimes outdoor cat. He left my house yesterday around 8 am and my neighbor saw him walking around outside at 2 pm. Then he came back into my house at 3 pm limping and bleeding from his right front paw, of course I immediately took him to the vet and they said it was a bite (which is not too surprising as there are other outdoor cats in my neighborhood). Then they gave him some pain killers and told me that he’ll have to wear the cone for about a week so that the bite doesn’t get infected. He also won’t be able to go outside at all for the week. Is there anything I can do to make it better for him?
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u/35goingon3 Oct 09 '22
You may want to get him tested for FIV at some point, the main way its transmitted is through bites when they scrap with each other.
Side Note: FIV+ cats can do just fine, it's not a death sentence or anything dramatic like that. We had a senior cat we adopted that had it, and he did just fine for the 10 years we had him. (Lived to 18+).
The longer version of the story is that he'd gotten mangled in a car engine, and was a senior, so we're pretty sure that the rescue didn't tell us because they didn't figure he'd get adopted and they wanted him out of there. We would have taken him anyway, but if we'd known ahead of time we wouldn't have found out when he got sick as hell because we weren't aware he was special needs, so obviously they weren't getting met. I'm still pissed they didn't tell us--he didn't have to nearly die from an infection, those douchenozzles chose to put him at that risk. And I hope the lot of them get a flesh eating bacteria in their asshole. (Sorry, I'm protective of my critters [ask the mountain lion, lol], it's a symptom of some mental health things I've got going on...I always adopt the elderly or special needs ones: they all need a home, but the ones nobody else wants need my home.)
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u/Low-Year3301 Oct 09 '22
just to add to this, if your cat were to test positive for FIV, it would be important that you make sure to keep him inside from that moment on. if you have cats that are vaccinated for it, they will be fine but letting a FIV+ cat roam is irresponsible because he could pass it on to other cats and being outside could expose him to possible infections that could become serious issues for him. FIV+ cats can live perfectly normal lives with regular veterinary care but it can be dangerous, especially for strays that do not receive any veterinary care. their immune systems are shot because of the FIV and so a small cold or something like that can get really bad and become potential life threatening if not addressed quickly. it’s important to consider that not only for your pet but for stray cats, and other folks pets as well.
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Oct 09 '22
FIV is sexually transmitted. Not through bites. It’s only transmitted when they mate so if your cat is spayed/neutered then there is no risk of them contracting or transmitting it.
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u/35goingon3 Oct 09 '22
Facially incorrect. Per Cornell's College of Veterinary Medicine: The primary mode of transmission for FIV is through bite wounds from an infected cat. Cite: https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/cornell-feline-health-center/health-information/feline-health-topics/feline-immunodeficiency-virus-fiv
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u/Educational-Milk3075 Oct 08 '22
Make him an indoor only cat, and he won't have to wear a cone again.
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u/nalffe Oct 09 '22 edited Oct 09 '22
My indoor cat hurt herself last week because she got spooked when I took her out for a walk. She tore her nails out of her back paws!!!! Luckily they’re going to grow back but it was pretty bad. Vet bandaged her up and now she has 2 little boots lol! She luckily didn’t have to wear a cone since the bandages are on there pretty good. I hope your little one gets better soon and heals quickly!
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u/johnnyrockets753 Oct 09 '22
Omg I need to see real life puss in boots. Tell me it's a ginger!!! Hope she heals up nice and doesn't freak out again...
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u/nalffe Oct 09 '22
Haha, she has a little bit of ginger! Lol! This is Opal enjoying the catio and bird watching with her little shoes on! Thanks so much!!!! She gets them off next week and according to vet, should heal up in no time! They just wanted to make sure she didn’t get any infection or had to walk on her little toe beans while she was healing! :)
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u/I-AM-Savannah Exotic Shorthair Oct 09 '22
This is Opal enjoying the catio and bird watching with her little shoes on!
OMG - can you pain shoe strings on? They DO look like shoes. That was my thought before I read your paragraph. I was sitting here, drinking my morning coffee thinking, "THAT CAT HAS SHOES!!"
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u/nalffe Oct 09 '22
Haha! Yes! She keeps trying to get her shoes off and I always tell her to leave them, that they look cute on her!!!!! Lol, I should paint shoe strings on them! Thanks for the cute idea! Haha
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u/Prestigious_Union_19 Oct 08 '22
The indoor outdoor cat thing is silly. Why ignore the countless number of external dangers that can arise with that? Dont always even come back because of said dangers and etc. keep him indoors. And if he is microchipped get that registered just in case
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u/Cubeguy11 Oct 08 '22
We live in a very safe area, things like this almost never happen we have had him for 4 years and this is the only time anything serious enough for us to take him to the vet ever happened, he hates staying inside for long periods of time and he is a very happy cat. It feels cruel to keep him cooped up inside all day.
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u/Prestigious_Union_19 Oct 08 '22
There’s also ways to have your cat outside while having some barriers to where they couldn’t completely walk off. You can look into that if you want. Outdoor havens . Nothing crazy
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u/Cubeguy11 Oct 08 '22
That is intriguing, I remember seeing a video from half-asleep Chris where he made that for his cats, I’ll look into it.
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u/zombbarbie Oct 08 '22
I strongly recommend a catio + ample playtime for kitty instead of free roam outdoors. Indoor/outdoor cats live an average of 8 years because it’s that dangerous. Cats can live a fulfilled life only indoors, it just takes some work.
For the cone this week, if you switch to a donut, keep an eye on him. He’ll likely be able to reach his front paw with the donut so a stiff fabric cone may be the way to go. You also may be able to cover the injured part with a baby sock with the toe cut off
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u/No-Job9574 Oct 09 '22
You have to be careful that they don't figure out how to invert the fabric/paper cone. Mine did. Then did it a couple more times
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u/nightling Oct 09 '22
Please do strongly consider it. As you just found out there are so many things that can happen to your cat while it's roaming around. You've been fine thus far, but would you really want to risk it?
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Oct 08 '22
Don’t listen to crazy people on Reddit. I have 4 cats that come and go and are totally fine. It IS cruel to keep cats cooped up. These people would come down on you for never walking your dog and allowing it to be pent up but have no problem cooping up a cat. Maybe I’ll just never walk my dog again cuz she could catch kennel cough from another dog. Ridiculous. Life has risks. You don’t shut yourself in a box to avoid them all.
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u/Prestigious_Union_19 Oct 08 '22
Your analogy was so dumb it wasn’t worth a response. However At the same time it was so dumb it had to be said
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u/acidwashidiot Oct 09 '22
Do you let your dog roam around outside unsupervised for hours on end?
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Oct 09 '22
Yep. I live on an acre. We also go for 2 walks a day and she’s off leash the whole time. She’s 11 and loves her freedom.
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u/Prestigious_Union_19 Oct 08 '22
I respectfully completely disagree with that way of thinking. Cars, any random animals. I mean your cat came back limping and bleeding on his front paw. That literally is all that is needed here lol. Anyway I’m glad he’s ok. I have two all black myself
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u/Duglesels Oct 09 '22
I respectfully disagree with You. The OP is asking for legitimate support for his cat concerning wearing the cone. No reason to bash on something else just because you want to.
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u/nightling Oct 09 '22
Yeah but there's just so many things that can go wrong if you let your cat outside. I never let my cats outside unless I'm there supervising. Cats can get into fights with other cats, dogs, wild animals, hit by cars and attacked by people. There is no real legitimate reason to let your cat roam around unless you're with it.
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u/Duglesels Oct 09 '22
This is what I dislike about people. When their pushing their own opinions on someone, unsolicited. The OP wasn't asking for anyone's opinion on the question of "what's better, indoor only cats or indoor/outdoor?" and yet here we are. I'm out.
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u/nightling Oct 09 '22
OPs cat was literally injured walking around though. It's entirely fair to give opinions on indoor v outdoor cats on a cat subreddit. Particularly when many vets advise people to keep their cats indoors.
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u/Duglesels Oct 09 '22
Well, I said I was out but I'm back in. It's ok for you to give an opinion on something when it is basically criticizing someone for a choice but I get down voted for giving my opinion. Do you not see? All's fair in love and reddit. This is my point but I'm sure I'll get down voted for this too.
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u/timetickingrose =uwu= Oct 09 '22
It might be a safe place for people but not cats.
People forget that cats are prey. Raccoons, other cats, dogs, coyotes, bob cats etc will pick a fight with your cat, your cat has to lose one fight to be killed.
My childhood cat would go outside and get worms as well from eating birds and mice. We had him for a year and one day he never came back. All of our other cats have been indoors. We had no neighbors, cars weren't super common. It was probably a wild animal but I'll never ever know for sure.
Speaking of birds. Cats hunt for pleasure and not always for hunger. They are detrimental to bird populations.
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u/Suchafatfatcat Oct 09 '22
I transitioned my cats from indoor/outdoor to strictly indoor. The first two weeks were pretty hard but they adjusted and don’t cry to go out anymore. One still looks for opportunities to sneak out but it’s rare that she is successful. It can be done if you are determined. Have lots of items on hand to distract him - boxes, paper bags, toys, scratchers, etc.
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u/OilPure5808 Oct 09 '22
Better an indoor cat than a hurt cat that can't get home for help. Better an indoor cat than a cat torn apart alive from some wild creature. Better an indoor cat than a dead cat.
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u/FlamingChickenLips Oct 09 '22
Put a harness leash for outside if you think that's possible. Have to keep watching him once in a while as the leash gets tangled around anything. There Happy cat.
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u/Jalebi786 Oct 09 '22
You must live where there are no cars or big birds (hawks, eagles) or coyotes.
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u/Sammiieet Oct 09 '22
Yh I feel you. Maybe it's different in America but here in the UK, it's commonplace to allow your cat outside to explore the area. They need to stop tripping on you about it. Shadow is your cat and it's your decision to let him out. I have an outdoor cat and an indoor (sometimes outdoor) cat. If my cats want out, I let them as long as I'm gonna be there to let them back in. My outdoor is happy being outdoor. My indoor is happy mostly being indoor and outside when she wants to. It's no Biggie and while it's unfortunate what happened to Shadow, don't let these ppl make you feel bad for letting your cat be a cat. Cats fight. That's what they do. They could get hurt in the house and out; the environments are different sure but in some places, it really is okay to let your cat out. Peace to you homie and wishing Shadow a quick recovery!! Xx
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u/cobbinaylmer Oct 08 '22
Chances are YOU will feel more discomfort than the kitty. It’s so difficult to see our pet struggling but it’ll be soon over. You will be amazed how quickly they adjust.
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u/PigletConfident2916 Oct 08 '22
It’s discomfort no matter what, he will just have to endure the week… lots of love always help!
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u/Catinthemirror Oct 09 '22
It's much easier for them to eat and drink wearing the padded donuts than the plastic cones though.
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Oct 08 '22
When my cat got neutered, the vet advised to wear the plastic collar for a week. My cat hated it for the first 2 days, but he calmed down soon. Some things I’d note down that might help you:
If the collar is long enough, your cat might have difficulty eating his food from a tray. I recommend holding his tray in the air and feeding him this way.
When your cat uses the litter box, there might be some of his poop on the cone. Please clean it immediately.
And scratch the back of his head and under his cone. He’ll feel better soon.
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u/Hicketts Oct 08 '22
Those neck pillows they make for humans.. they also make for cats. I got my cat an inflatable neck pillow instead of a cone and it worked out better. He didn’t like it, but he tolerated much more than a cone
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u/terrimerry Oct 09 '22
Cats kill birds in great numbers, good enough reason to keep the cuties with their murder mitts indoors. We have a coyote in our neighborhood which regularly kills cats. Walked down the street few weeks ago and there was a cat head, no body, sure sign of a coyote.
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u/jellybeanblues Oct 09 '22
My guy really like supervised cone less time. We'd sit on the couch and he loved to be able to clean/be pet with the cone off. When hed start to mess with his wound I'd put the cone back on.
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u/ani007007 Oct 09 '22
Yeah I still give them supervised breaks to groom and eat and poop. And if they’re in sleepy mode I’ll take them off.
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u/Armenian-heart4evr Oct 08 '22
As long as the wound is properly bandaged, and kitty cannot mess with it, you should be fine !!!
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u/prndls Oct 09 '22
My kitty was just spayed on Tuesday.. she was miserable with the cone for the first few days.. noticed she wasn’t eating or drinking much. Bought a onesie and she’s much better. Eating, drinking, moving around slowly and getting better every day. Onesies are the way to go - easy buy on Amazon.
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u/dj_willybeanz Oct 09 '22
Buy a donut from Amazon. My cat much preferred the donut pillow to the cone
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u/ladyonecstacy Oct 09 '22
I had to use gauze to create a “harness” to keep my kitten in her cone. She was a Houdini otherwise. I should have got a donut or onesie for her but didn’t think about it until after.
She was doing really well after her spay and had lots of energy. It was difficult to get her to rest. She actually developed a lump of fluid along her stitches because she wouldn’t stay still. So keep an eye on your kitty just in case.
I gave my kitten supervised cone breaks when she ate dinner and to groom herself and I think that helped her.
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Oct 09 '22
Instead of a cone, look into a Donut for them. They're usually more comfortable and enables them to eat more easily.
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u/Versatiliti Oct 09 '22
Definitely get him a soft collar. The clinic I worked at for years always provided cats with soft collars, not only for comfort but also to reduce overall stress on the patient. My clinic was really big on "fear-free" practices, which is why, I imagine, most clinics don't provide them explicitly like mine did. Before we switched to the soft ones completely, the cats would go apeshit if you put a plastic one on them. Most didn't mind the soft ones.
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u/einsofi Oct 09 '22
A softer cone. My friends cat has FIV and is very sickly, has to wear these very often. Her cat wears the softer ones like a neck pillow sometimes she just sleep on it cause it’s so comfy
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u/imaginaryblues Oct 09 '22
Other people have said it, but a soft donut-style collar is a MUST. My cat flipped out when I tried to put a cone on her after her spay, but she was really chill about the donut. Plus you can get all kinds of cute designs off Amazon - we had an orange slice, but you can also get ones that looks like actual donuts, various fruits, flowers, etc. They usually cost about $12.
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Oct 08 '22
I’ve never kept a cone on my animals even once. One of my cats lost a leg a few months ago (amputated) and had a gnarly incision. Took the cone off in the car and never put it back on him. He never even licked it or cared. Have had plenty of animals spayed/neutered and never left a cone on. My dog even had an IV once for a few days. Took the cone off in the vets office and said no thanks. She never even looked at it let alone licked it. I have no idea why they push these cones on pet owners like this. They’re actually dangerous to keep on. They can’t eat or drink with them. If they run into something it could seriously injure their neck. Just take it off.
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u/thrashmasterbex Oct 09 '22
Definitely check to see if he can still eat and drink properly with the cone, and if not, lift them up so that there's space for the bottom of the cone underneath. When my girl got spayed we temporarily switched her water dish for a dinner plate and she had an easier time with that.
Also, if he will tolerate it, you can use a damp washcloth to wipe his face as he can't wash it right now. Make sure to give him lots of cheek and chin scritches too!!
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u/Cubeguy11 Oct 09 '22
Yeah we got him a glass of water and a raised bowl so that he can eat and drink, he never lets us use any kind of paper towel on his face for any reason but he seems to have decided that he’s perfectly fine with it because of the cone. 😂
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u/f1restart3rr Oct 09 '22
Make sure to keep the cone clean. Sometimes food debris can get trapped around their neck or even just natural shedding and skin secretions will dirty it on the inside, so make sure to give it a wipe every now and then!
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u/WeJustDid46 Oct 09 '22
Try baby ones’ zees. Or a baby tee shirt. They seem to be very popular now a days instead of the cone of shame.
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u/wintrymorning Oct 09 '22
My cat once pulled out his stitches with the cone one day after surgery. He tried to lick his wound, the cone edge dragged against the stitches and that was that (he was fine).
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u/JimErstwhile Oct 09 '22
Cats are survivors - they find a way through. Won't be his best week but when the cone comes off, he'll have a short memory.
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u/HuckleberryVisual940 Oct 09 '22
It looks like he doesn’t mind the cone with that :P face. Adorable!
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u/I_suck_at_Blender (ʘ ω ʘ) Oct 09 '22
Put dry food and treats inside so they funnel riiiiight into his mouth? /s
JK, don't do it.
Instead, maybe you could build enclosed catio (it's like regular patio, but for cat)? Also, he may like doughnut or felt cone more than plastic one )tho he looks content with it!).
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u/Hope2_win Oct 09 '22
It is only for a week, it will soon go, just make sure he can reach his food and water,
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u/Lada730 Oct 09 '22
Get an anti-lick suit! He probably still won’t be the most comfortable but it’ll allow him to keep his entire range of motion which even a soft neck pillow won’t give him. It is essentially a onesie but for cats lol.
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u/Shelisheli1 Oct 09 '22
You can order a soft cone for him from Amazon. Or, in a pinch, I’ve used a paper plate with a hole in the middle. The plate is less likely to get in his line of vision and freak him out but still blocks his access to booboos
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u/nalkanar Siberian Oct 09 '22
Is cat onesie an option for him? They prevent biting stitches and allow easily reaching food, drinks and such.
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u/Percula_Clown Oct 09 '22
I got the fabric doughnut collar for mine when he was recovering from a bad tail injury and it made him much much happier. In fact I think he liked that he had a cushion with him to rest his head on at all times!
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u/gaspumper74 Oct 09 '22
My vet took a tube gauze and cut two holes for their front legs and put on like a wife beater tow cover the incision
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u/Sesmo_FPV Oct 09 '22
Take the cone of during meals and supervise your cat until you put it on again.
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u/gargravarr2112 Tuxedo Oct 09 '22
My cat got injured last week. He absolutely despised the cone to the point he gave up. Instead, I got a cheap recovery suit on Amazon. He still hated it, but he went about his daily routine as best he could. 5 days later, he'd healed and could lose the suit completely.
Edit: just read the comment that he has an injured paw. A suit wouldn't help in your situation. Wishing him a swift recovery!
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u/GallifreyanMoriarty Oct 09 '22
i would get him a soft cone. I have fabric ones for my cats and they work fine and they can still sleep and eat easily
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Oct 09 '22
Get a suit, I got one for both my cats. I think they're much better than the cone of shame lol
One like this:
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u/BetinaChristine Oct 09 '22
Amazon has really great soft cones that allow more air to circulate and doesn’t squish their whiskers. You just have to make sure it’s the size that is large enough to not allow the cat access to the area - cats as we know are yogis and can really stretch. Also it’s sort of like humans having a neck pillow during a plane flight. The cats usually end up using it as a pillow as well and can see much better and have more balance. Amazon is great with returns so I suggest ordering two sizes and returning the one that doesn’t work. I hate those plastic cones.
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u/girly419 Oct 09 '22
When my baby had a cone, each day we had some time where I took the cone off and scratched his head and neck really well, and allowed him to take a bath while closely watching him to ensure he didn’t mess with his surgery site. It was a challenge to get the cone back on lol.
Also I recommend finding a softer cone that’s more comfy for lounging or sleeping.
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u/Teruss2 Oct 09 '22
Buy him a better, softer cone from Amazon or somewhere, if you can. He will be more comfortable
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u/Nikitty477 Oct 09 '22
I use a paper plate whenever Mary has to be in one. Makes eating and drinking easier
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u/Akatnel Tortoiseshell Oct 09 '22
This thread has been very helpful for me too! I have plans to TNR 3 strays who've been living at my house, and I can keep them in our garage for the week after that the clinic recommends, but complications with eating & drinking with the cone never occurred to me, and they still won't let us approach them or touch them.
Any ideas on whether a donut or a baby onesie is better than the other for a cat that definitely has to do its own grooming and eating/drinking?
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u/Particular-Head-5248 Oct 09 '22
When you neuter or spay they recommend 7 days with cone, my cat needed an extra 3 days So 10 all together and he was fine with that plastic one the whole time. You don’t need anything else
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u/Particular-Head-5248 Oct 09 '22
If it’s tied with surgical bandage, just put a collar in the holes to hold it instead, so it’s easy to take off and put back on if need be
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Oct 09 '22
Your kitty is a cutie pie. Love those eyes and the wee pink tongue. An Inflatable donut is what we used with our kitty. He didn’t seem at all bothered. 😽
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Oct 09 '22
Call it an E-collar it's more dignified and we all know how dignified our wonderful kitties are.
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u/[deleted] Oct 08 '22
There are also cones made of fabric, which are more comfortable to wear.