Post-spay and my kitten refuses the cone and bites at stitches.

[weakoctober]

Well, I sure didn’t think this would be an issue. This cat is a gosh darn angel - never thought I wouldn’t be able to get a cone on her.

So I took her home from the vet’s after her spay, oh, maybe 3 hours ago and all was well at first. Then she started biting at her incision. Well, shit. Okay, well I have an elizabethan cone/collar for this so I go to put it on, cat squirms away. Fine, okay. I try slow and steady with treats. Nope. I try just getting it on as quickly as possible. No, she freaks and knocks over every object in sight. So I call the vet and ask for advice, five minutes before close. She says to get a baby onesie and throw it on her. Not only do I not have one, I don’t realistically see me getting one on her. So I’m stuck til tomorrow when I can hopefully just pay for my vet to do it for me.

But for tonight, what the heck do I do? I’m torn up over this and desperately in need of some sleep but I can’t leave her to rip out her stitches! I also feel so silly that I can’t seem to get a dang cone on this cat lol, but I’m worried that to keep trying would only do more harm than good.

 

[Furballsmom]

Can you put a small tshirt over her, or wrap an athletic bandage over her...can you run out and get some bitter apple taste deterrent?

 

[weakoctober]

I will definitely try the T-shirt thing though I imagine that might be quite difficult with how skittish she is over the cone and everything else. Thank you for the suggestions! I wish I could get out but I’ve no one to watch her unfortunately as my fiancé just left for work. I never imagined it would be so difficult! My other cat took to the cone much more easily lol!

 

[irisheyzs]

I would wrap her in a towel and get that cone on somehow. Once it's on put her in the bathroom until she calms down. She can really hurt herself without it.

 

[weakoctober]

I would wrap her in a towel and get that cone on somehow. Once it's on put her in the bathroom until she calms down. She can really hurt herself without it.

I admit I really did try, but she squirmed so hard I was scared she may hurt herself that way. And when I did manage to get it on, she bolted from my hands and slammed into every nearby object until it came off. :/ I might just try to get her to the vet tomorrow morning and see what they can do, until then I’ve been watching her and just stopped her from worrying it when she does. Seems like she’s doing it less and less.

 

[minnie's mom]

If the cone has loops that you can run something through, try a harness! Minnie initially refused to keep her cone on post-surgery and I bought a cheap harness after reading a recommendation online (I don't remember where). It was the absolute best advice.

 

[Furballsmom]

Oh gosh I'm sorry she got so determined about things!
How are things today?

 

[weakoctober]

Oh gosh I'm sorry she got so determined about things!
How are things today?

I’m shocked honestly! She’s the most affectionate, sweetest little thing until this lol.

I just got back from the vet - they gave her the dreaded Shirt which she abhors of course, but not as much as the Terrible Cone. They said the incision looks fine, but unfortunately even their smallest sized shirt is still quite large on her. Poor thing. I’m off to buy safety pins to try and make something that she can actually walk in. Ugh, why don’t people warn you how badly this stuff makes you feel as a cat parent!!

And of course... some pictures.

 

[Furballsmom]

They said the incision looks fine,

This is terrific news!!

See if you can get baby-safe pins

 

[lutece]

Just be sure to keep an eye on her and check the shirt every day to make sure it's securely fastened and intact. The shirt solution usually works, but I once had a cat chew right through one of those shirts and damage her incision. I felt terrible that I had been complacent and wasn't checking often enough to notice right away, before she chewed all the way through!

 

[weakoctober]

Just be sure to keep an eye on her and check the shirt every day to make sure it's securely fastened and intact. The shirt solution usually works, but I once had a cat chew right through one of those shirts and damage her incision. I felt terrible that I had been complacent and wasn't checking often enough to notice right away, before she chewed all the way through!

Ugh, yes! I safety pinned this thing as securely as I could, went for some much needed sleep and... woke up to a naked cat! This girl is too much!

 

[weakoctober]

I would wrap her in a towel and get that cone on somehow. Once it's on put her in the bathroom until she calms down. She can really hurt herself without it.

Well I had to follow this suggestion after she went potty all over her oversized shirt and I decided I had no other choice. Put her in the bathroom, threw the cone on as quickly as possible. I think maybe after everything I’ve subjected her to she was a bit less resilient because it was easier than I expected. Now she’s sulking in the corner of course. Let’s just hope she forgets all this quickly!

 

[weakoctober]

Well all, I was a fool to think I would get by so easily after this fiasco! Woke up this morning to a very puss-y cat (bad time for puns?) Will be calling the vet first thing when they open up. Assuming this amount of fluid and redness is abnormal. Spay was on Tuesday, this is Friday morning. If anyone could give some insight, that would be wonderful, or if anyone has been thru an infected spay site before and could tell me what happens if it is indeed infected as I am flying by the seat of my pants. Otherwise, just sharing the next step on this difficult journey lol.

 

[di and bob]

Looks like she needs an antibiotic now on top of everything else! I get liquid and put it in Hartz Delectable Lickables in the stew flavors. my cats don't like the Bisque. This is in a mall pouch and I get it at Walmart and Dollar General in the treat section. They have never refused it yet! You could ask if the vet recommends the injectable antibiotic, then he can give it right there.

 

[weakoctober]

Looks like she needs an antibiotic now on top of everything else! I get liquid and put it in Hartz Delectable Lickables in the stew flavors. my cats don't like the Bisque. This is in a mall pouch and I get it at Walmart and Dollar General in the treat section. They have never refused it yet! You could ask if the vet recommends the injectable antibiotic, then he can give it right there.

Thanks a bunch! Little Noodle here was a very sick kitten when we found her in our car engine (URI, ringworm, roundworm, the whole works) so man am I used to medicines sigh. On the last round of ringworm liquid medicine I put it into the syringe with a little bit of chicken juice and she and my older cat who also contracted lapped it up very easily. I will ask my vet if this is OK to do, and if not, will happily take your suggestion. I thank you all very much for always providing great advice and comfort whenever needed (and it’s been much needed with this baby in her short life so far!!)

 

[weakoctober]

Thanks a bunch! Little Noodle here was a very sick kitten when we found her in our car engine (URI, ringworm, roundworm, the whole works) so man am I used to medicines sigh. On the last round of ringworm liquid medicine I put it into the syringe with a little bit of chicken juice and she and my older cat who also contracted lapped it up very easily. I will ask my vet if this is OK to do, and if not, will happily take your suggestion. I thank you all very much for always providing great advice and comfort whenever needed (and it’s been much needed with this baby in her short life so far!!)

Been emailing with our vet, she says it does not look like an infection but rather “moist dermatitis as the skin folds on itself in that area and rubs” which is very good news. I am picking up antibiotics today as it seems our low-cost spay clinic didn’t provide them (our normal vet charges 600!!! for a spay) She did offer an injectable but I am trying to avoid a vet visit at the moment because the last one was a couple of days ago and was very hard on her. Anywho, hopefully this is very good news!!!

 

[di and bob]

That IS good news! It's nice When you don't have to take them in and stress them out. All the luck!

 

[weakoctober]

Just a little update (because sometimes I’m desperate for an update for other posts that are dead!) Noodle escaped her cone for about 20 minutes before I noticed and when I inspected her incision I noticed it looked slightly open (whether from her worrying it in those 20min or whether it was open from the first night and just revealed thru her cleaning, I am not sure.) So we ended up getting her two staples upon the vet’s recommendation. She is now jailed in our bedroom where she can’t try to jump into windows or play with our other cat but despite this seems in good spirits. Still on amoxicillin as well. Fingers crossed within 2 weeks she will be all healed up.

 

[Furballsmom]

Fingers crossed within 2 weeks she will be all healed up.

 

[di and bob]

Thanks for the update, appreciate it. Wounds heal pretty good in a week, you might look at it and assess letting her have more freedom then.