Cat Onesie Tips?

[__caitlin]

Does anyone have any tips for helping a cat adjust to a recovery onesie?

I have a cat who’s been overgrooming (belly, legs, feet, and under the tail) - I think due to a food allergy that was triggered a couple months ago. I’m still confirming that and experimenting with eliminating different allergens, but I feel there’s a component to it that has become psychologically self-perpetuating.

I had her in the onesie for over 6 hours and, while she eventually became more confident using her arms, she never adjusted to feel comfortable with her back legs - and as a result, stayed mostly stationary and reluctant to move anywhere. She'll relax and purr on the bed; she'll swat at her wand toy; she's just reluctant to do anything requiring walking. I eventually took it off for a bit because I’m afraid she won’t be able to use the bathroom with her back legs this wobbly.

Anyone have any advice? How long does it typically take for them to adjust to this? (By the way, I did try a cone and that was a disaster; this was still much better by far.)

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Put her in it for a couple of hours, then out, then back in, slowly extending the time in, and lessening the time out. It could take a few to several days for her to totally adjust. IF all else fails, there is a huge range of Elizabethan collars, as well, such as this one:

 

[GoldyCat]

You could try a t-shirt instead of the full onesie. It would leave her back legs completely free. The downside is that it might not cover enough.

 

[__caitlin]

Put her in it for a couple of hours, then out, then back in, slowly extending the time in, and lessening the time out. It could take a few to several days for her to totally adjust. IF all else fails, there is a huge range of Elizabethan collars, as well, such as this one:

View attachment 401408

Thank you, I'll try it. I was concerned that taking it on and off many times would actually increase her stress around it, but I guess I don't really have a choice if after 6 hours she's still reluctant to move.

You could try a t-shirt instead of the full onesie. It would leave her back legs completely free. The downside is that it might not cover enough.

Yes, this is the exact problem -- I actually need the opposite of a t-shirt, as she ONLY overgrooms her belly, back legs, and tail. Everything waist up is not an issue so there isn't even really a need to cover it. The onesie is just the only option I found that covered the back legs and belly area.

 

[vince]

I she's small enough, a sweat sock can serve as a onesie, with holes cut in the sock as needed. Perhaps not as good as a commercial cat onesie, but it worked for me.

 

[Catmom1234567890]

I bought the onsie from Amazon and my kitty hated it. It’s the one with holes for legs and Velcro closure on the top. I find cat costume work better but it may be more exposed.

 

[ladytimedramon]

Make sure it's the right size for the cat too. If it's too short they'll find it less comfortable to move. My kitty was OK with it, but I had to have it with the drawstring neck otherwise she wriggled out.