Kitten care after spay/neuter - cat HATES the cone.

[judi golden]

I am just looking to get a sanity check here.  

I have two kittens, 4.5 months old, that just got spayed/neutered yesterday.  I have had kittens spayed and neutered at different vets before, and basically, the procedure was done and the cats were sent home and that was that.  I think I may have had to bring one back to get the stitches removed but I can't recall.  

When I picked up my kittens, I was sent home with a bag full of antibiotics and pain meds to administer over the weekend.  Okay, not what I am used to, but not a big deal.  The problem is that they were sent home with those cones, and I was told they should wear it for 10 days.  The male, in particular, is just MISERABLE with it on.  As in, he just sits on the floor in one place not moving, and keeps banging his face on the ground trying to get it off.  The female is fine with it on, but the male actually keeps ripping it off her.  

He doesn't seem to be picking at his incision, and is otherwise looking as good as new.  Is the cone really necessary?  I honestly don't think wearing it for 10 days is realistic or necessary.  Thoughts?  

 

[Kieka]

Completely against my vets advice I have never left the cone on for a spay or neuter. When Link had an abscesd last year I told my ver an cone wouldn't work so she used a cloth drain that he couldnt remove and him tugging on would help it drain. I have never had any complications as a result. But I am also that hyper vigilant cat mom who is jumping up at the slightest sneeze. I checked them each day to make sure everything looked good. I stayed near them as much as possible as stopped them when they tried to mess with them.

Personally I feel that the negative impact of depression and general blah from the cone slows healing. I have heard of success with inflatable cones or soft cones or even paper plate cones that are less obvious. I did have one cat many many years ago that needed the cone after a surgery (abscess so a drain was in that he could rip out) and we trimmed down his cone. But that cat also took the cone in stride.

 

[judi golden]

Yeh, my husband took them to the vet this morning and they weren't too pleased that we took the cones off.  They gave him a bunch of horror stories about wounds reopening etc...  My husband decided to work from home today to watch the cats and make sure that they don't get in any trouble, and we will watch them this weekend.  By monday, I hope they will be healed enough to leave them without too much worry.  It will be 4 days post surgery.  

 

[shapopo]

After my cat was spayed, I had her wear one of those outfits that protected her stitches while allowing her to pee. You should look into it. It worked so well and she didn't have to wear a cone. They are medical cat wear. The vet said her stitches looked great at the end of the process.

 

[lalagimp]

Really? All my kittens I've had done have never had to or been instructed to wear a cone.
Ashley and his sister Sam were my kittens and I got them done together, then I got Yue spayed, then Tommy came home from county 2 days after having his neuter and he wasn't wearing a cone. He was so good as a kitten I asked him if I could check his stitches like the day after we met and he let me check them out without any sensitivity about it, and I said thank you and we were fine. Stewart was even a late neuter at 10 months old and he was good.
The only time I've had a cat in a cone was when Tommy was living in one for a month as a precaution against stricture from having his PU surgery done. Don't want to build up scar tissue from over grooming.
These low cost places don't have any hesitation about sending you home with 1 injection for pain medication(which they say is optional and I say you're kidding me, right?) and I don't think we were ever issued antibiotics, and that's their business. I've never paid more than $65 for me to sterilize a cat and no hoops and no horror stories.

 

[cat princesses]

Google baby onesie for cat. I went to Walmart and bought a onesie for my car after her spray surgery. I found one that was a tank top style. The regular crotch part for the baby cut a hole and the I out her legs thru each hole where babies arms would go. Take the bottom crotch part and go up and over head and the snaps would be at the scruff of the neck. It was absolutely perfect!