How should I feed my emaciated stray cat

[hellomisskitty]

Oh poor Bowie!!

Those cones are tough on cats. My poor girl is so freaked out by them that she literally sits imbolized in it if she has to have one: will not move, won't eat, won't drink, won't use the litter box. I've only had to try her with one twice and each time the same result. Each time the vet then tells me to take it off since it's going her more harm than good.
Call the humane society/vet and tell them what happened. Likely, they will say to get the cone off her and try to supervise her (as much as you can) to make sure she is not pulling at stitches (these days they often do internal stitches anyway).
I've read of people putting their cats in baby onsies post spay instead of a cone in order to prevent the cat from licking the incision too much.
I'm sorry she is having such a tough time [emoji]128575[/emoji]

 

[boobear27]

Oh poor Bowie!!

Those cones are tough on cats. My poor girl is so freaked out by them that she literally sits imbolized in it if she has to have one: will not move, won't eat, won't drink, won't use the litter box. I've only had to try her with one twice and each time the same result. Each time the vet then tells me to take it off since it's going her more harm than good.
Call the humane society/vet and tell them what happened. Likely, they will say to get the cone off her and try to supervise her (as much as you can) to make sure she is not pulling at stitches (these days they often do internal stitches anyway).
I've read of people putting their cats in baby onsies post spay instead of a cone in order to prevent the cat from licking the incision too much.
I'm sorry she is having such a tough time [emoji]128575[/emoji]

I feel so bad I should have stayed the night in the room with her last night to monitor her since it's her first time being in a cone...I'm staying in the room with her tonight to monitor her..I used an oil diffuser with lavender oil to help her relax and sleep it seems to be working..I placed an order for some peppermint oil..I was gonna get some feliway but it looks like it can get pricey having to buy refills...I did some research and read some cat owners use an oil diffuser with peppermint oil to help calm their cats I figured this will be a more frugal option...Gotta save money for the vet bills.

 

[Norachan]

Poor Bowie! I hope her paws are going to be OK. I've never used a cone on any of my cats after being spayed or neutered, they've all been fine without one.

I've used Felliway in the past, but I actually think Lavender Oil in an oil burner works just as well. The Felliway diffusers smell like hot plastic after a couple of uses, so you have to buy a new diffuser as well as a new refill. It can get really expensive.

 

[di and bob]

I have never used a cone on any of my spays and they have all come through fine. I definitely think they do more harm then good. Ask your vet if you can give a 'calming' treat, found at Pet Smart or on Amazon, they are handy to have around and really do work,. She may have a lump under the incision site, that is normal, it is swelling and stitches on the inside, so don't be alarmed.Normal can have redness and some discharge too, but if it becomes thick and green or yellow colored, call your vet. She just needs a lot of TLC right now, and plenty of treats, rest, and water. Spaying is a major operation and they take a while to recover. Give her a kiss from me!

 

[zed xyzed]

Poor Bowie, hope she is ok. A lot of people use a jumpsuit instead of a cone. 

 

[pegleg]

I don't know if you can just buy these things as my little girl cat was spayed before I adopted her but she was trussed up in this net type of thing. It might be worth looking into this type of thing if she does need something preventative.

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• pegleg
• Jul 14, 2016

Bowie's lovely and you're officially wonderful people for taking her in.

 

[boobear27]

She doesn't seem to be freaked out by the cone anymore she's actually quite calm now with it on..I have some small t shirts that I bought for my dog that didn't fit because it was too small..Maybe I can sew it at the bottom turn it into a onesie for Bowie..The lavender oil is working very well for her she's getting some good rest and relaxation.

 

[hellomisskitty]

I'm glad that Bowie is doing better today...poor little dear [emoji]128575[/emoji]
Is the lavender oil you are using just an essential oil in a diffuser? I think I want to try that out!
I bet those tshirts you have would be a great substitute for the cone and would make her feel more comfortable.
She should really start feeling more herself in the next day or so.

 

[boobear27]

I'm glad that Bowie is doing better today...poor little dear [emoji]128575[/emoji]
Is the lavender oil you are using just an essential oil in a diffuser? I think I want to try that out!
I bet those tshirts you have would be a great substitute for the cone and would make her feel more comfortable.
She should really start feeling more herself in the next day or so.

Yes I used a lavender essential oil in an inexpensive ultrasonic oil diffuser I got on Amazon.com..I like to purchase pure essential oils on Vitacost.com..Essential oils always come in handy for home remedies

 

[Mamanyt1953]

If she is relaxed and at ease with the lavender oil, that might be all you need,  Hekitty would NOT wear her cone, and I used lavender oil for her, for several days.  She just lounged around and never even looked at her tummy.

 

[ginny]

Bowie's lovely and you're officially wonderful people for taking her in.

That's burn netting!  Where I live there is a pharmacy near a hospital which has tons of supplies and this is one of them.  Call any medical supply company if you want to get some of this.  It's GREAT for holding on bandages without tape!  

 

[sidneykitty]

You could also try a soft cone/e-collar which can be worn either like a regular cone or facing the other direction so she can still rub her head on stuff. As long as she can't lick her stitches, that's all that matters. You should be able to get one at a nearby vet or pet store, just be sure to get a proper kitten sized one. I used this for my cat when she just had stitches recently and it went over so much better than those awful plastic ones. The one I got was $18 and a tad too long so I just trimmed the ends off. They look like this: 
I want to let you know be very careful with essential oils around cats! Many essential oils are toxic to them even though they are ok for us. There was a thread recently here (http://www.thecatsite.com/t/319206/...sential-oils-anyone-have-experience-with-this) where a cat was most likely poisoned by lavender essential oil through skin contact. Skin contact with EOs is toxic for cats and breathing it in may not be good either, though no one really knows for sure. Please be careful with them around Bowie!!

She looks great and I hope she recovers nicely. you're doing a great job caring for her!

 

[boobear27]

 
You could also try a soft cone/e-collar which can be worn either like a regular cone or facing the other direction so she can still rub her head on stuff. As long as she can't lick her stitches, that's all that matters. You should be able to get one at a nearby vet or pet store, just be sure to get a proper kitten sized one. I used this for my cat when she just had stitches recently and it went over so much better than those awful plastic ones. The one I got was $18 and a tad too long so I just trimmed the ends off. They look like this: 
I want to let you know be very careful with essential oils around cats! Many essential oils are toxic to them even though they are ok for us. There was a thread recently here (http://www.thecatsite.com/t/319206/...sential-oils-anyone-have-experience-with-this) where a cat was most likely poisoned by lavender essential oil through skin contact. Skin contact with EOs is toxic for cats and breathing it in may not be good either, though no one really knows for sure. Please be careful with them around Bowie!!

She looks great and I hope she recovers nicely. you're doing a great job caring for her!

Thank you for the advice I did some research before I decided to use the lavender oil and there seems to be alot of mixed reviews about using lavender oil for cats some articles say is toxic and some say it's not  toxic ..I just made sure I used it in moderation and I only added one or two drops in the diffuser and just let the diffuser spray a couple of mists in the room  I made sure not to overpower the room with the scent and had the window open for some ventilation..I wouldn't place the place the lavender oil on the skin though and I always make sure to keep all my essential oils out of harms way so no accident spills and having my pets accidentally ingest it.

 

[boobear27]

I made Bowie a post-operative onesie out of an old cotton tshirt lol

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• boobear27
• Jul 15, 2016

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• boobear27
• Jul 15, 2016

 

[hellomisskitty]

Oh she looks so happy and cozie in her onesie!!! [emoji]10084[/emoji]️[emoji]10084[/emoji]️
Hope her toes check out ok today!

 

[zed xyzed]

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• boobear27
• Jul 15, 2016

She looks so cute in her onesie!!!

 

[lokhismom]

Awwwww so adorable 

 

[Mamanyt1953]

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• boobear27
• Jul 15, 2016

Would you be a sweetie and post a link to those instructions?  I know a lot of people here would love to have them1

 

[boobear27]

 
Would you be a sweetie and post a link to those instructions?  I know a lot of people here would love to have them1

Here's the link on how to make a post operative shirt for a cat...In the instructions the person used safety pins to hold the shirt together but I was afraid that the pins would come undone and poke her so I sewed the shirt instead.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Superior-post-surgical-feline--canine-appliance.-/

 

[Norachan]

That's such a great idea. She looks absolutely adorable in her little onesie.