# my second post and help needed with miserable cat with E.collar



## lucylove

Chloe received a bite from my other cat, Morris, the other day. I didn't notice until this morning when I saw some pus- she is so long-haired that it is hard to even see her skin. The vet did an op to remove the pus and she still has tubes in her, and obviously has the Elizabethan collar to stop her messing with the tubes. However, she is one bad-tempered cat right now. I have tightened the collar as much as I can without it being uncomforable, but she was whipping herself around in the bathroom and kept nearly bringing it off. Now I have put her in a large cardboard box so she can't struggle too much, but I feel terrible for her. I also have no clue how I am going to do warm compresses and give her antibiotics. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated I've never had a cat with a collar before.

Lucy


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## saitenyo

I just went through this with my kitten Athena this week actually. How long has Chloe had the collar on? The vet told me it sometimes takes several hours foe cats to calm down with one on.
Athena was very frustrated, trying to get her collar off for the first 2 or 3 hours, but eventually she calmed down. She definitely wasn't happy, and I felt terrible for her because she looked so miserable, but at least she did stop trying to get out of it. 

After 2 days of it on she got better at getting around and not bumping into things. Keeping your cat contained in one room for a day or so may be a good idea. Athena kept trying to jump on things and falling because her coordination was off, so I tried to keep her contained in one area and tried to keep her calm.


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## lucylove

she just got it this afternoon. I'm leaving it off for now and I'll see how it goes. She has two tubes in her taking the pus out, so I need to make sure she doesn't bother it, but so far so good.


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## catloverami

If you have tried giving her pills and she fights you, you can wrap her mummy-style in a towel. Whenever you have to do something she thinks is unpleasant (pills, nail clipping, grooming, etc.), always give her a treat when you're finished.


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## pickles mom

*Oh i feel your pain!!*

I had my 8 month old kitten spayed yesterday and believed the vet tech when he said " Cats don't usually mess with their sutures".. wow, was he wrong!! I had to rush to Petco today to get a tiny E-collar and she is miserable. She tries to sleep and it gets in the way, she is now very much unlike herself. She is in pain too.. my worst fear is that she is already infected. I think i am just super paranoid because i had to put down my baby boy kitty of 10 years ( he had Feline FIV ) just after christmas. That hurt like heck... I just want to snuggle her and make it all better... breaks my heart.


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## catloverami

Take it off her for her meals, but keep it on so she doesn't pull her stitches. It's also good that it keeps her from jumping up and down off stuff too vigorously. Get some chicken baby food, and finger feed her as a special treat when her collar is on. Commiserate with her, but tell her it will only be for a few days. We all have endure stuff we don't like, whether it's a cast or what, and it's no different. It's for her own good. You don't want her pulling out stitches and getting an infection....that's a whole lot worse!


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## FurryMisty

If your cat is recovering from surgery and you do not want him to pull out his stitches, or if he has a wound that must be kept bandaged, you will need to fit him with an Elizabethan collar, so called because it looks like the round collars worn by women in the Elizabethan age.
Otherwise, you will find that he can contort himself like a pretzel to reach every location on his body and will work steadily to remove the offending stitches or bandages. Your veterinarian will provide you with such a collar or you can make one at home.
Simply take a sturdy but flexible material, such as cardboard, and cut out a circle. Cut out smaller circle in the center, slightly larger than the size of his neck to provide room for movement. Be careful not to give him too much room or he will slip his head through and remove the collar.
Then cut away about a quarter of the circle all the way through to the center opening. Punch a double row of matching holes on either side of the gap. Make cuts around the inner circle about ½ inch or 2.5cm apart. These allow the edge to bend for a snug fit. Place the collar around his neck and use a piece of string to lace the open sides together.
Abscesses are hidden dangers. We often cannot see them, but we can feel them. If your cat shows no external sign of a wound, but is listless, off his eating schedule, has a dry, open coat or is not acting normally, there is a chance he is suffering from an abscess.
This is a tricky and potentially deadly situation because the skin will close over an open wound, leaving no visible sign. If your fingers do detect a lump anywhere on your cat, it could be an abscess.
It is best to take the cat to the veterinarian, who can drain the abscess surgically and prescribe antibiotics. Most abscesses are the result of cat fights, and are most common in unneutered, outdoor male cats.
To decrease the likelihood of your cat developing an abscess, spaying or neutering, limiting access to outdoors, and supervising interactions with other cats can be helpful.


I hope this information I found about e- collars helps you and your cat. I would keep it on except when it eats and drinks and supervise the cat when she is doing that. That cat will be in a bad mood at first as it is a strange thing on its neck and around its head. Just be patient. In the long run you will prevent any infection from your cat licking or biting the stitches and stuff out that is physically helping your cat get well. I'm sure the vet is doing what is best for your cat's well being. I would do it for my cat Misty if it happened to her. I know you feel bad when you see your cat feel that way but if you give her patience, space to get used to it and love then she'll love you for it in the long run because you are caring for your cat.

Good luck,
Anne:heart:butterfly


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