massive trauma from e-collar

Hi Everybody,

My poor kitty just got treated for an abscessed anal gland and has to wear an e-collar for the next 14 days.

When we got home, she ran around the house frantically, jumping up on furniture and climbing whatever she could. We tried our best to catch her so she wouldn't open her just-stitched wound.

She's calmed down a bit, but she's still super freaked out. When she was a kitten, she got a plastic bag stuck over her head and it was so traumatic for her that we spent 45 minutes trying to coax her from under a porch. Her reaction tonight made me wonder if she's having flash backs.

Does anyone have suggestions for helping to calm a cat who has just been given an e-collar? Also, the one we got seems way too big. I don't know how she's going to be able to eat or drink with it. Any thoughts about that?

<a target="_top" href="http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i465/sanfrancisconewbie/IMG_20110910_174531.jpg">http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i465/sanfrancisconewbie/IMG_20110910_174531.jpg</a>

Nope, the collar seems the perfect size to me.
You could however buy one of the soft kinds from Petsmart if you feel this one is too stressful for her.

It's been three hours still and she's still really scared. I've put her in a dark, quiet room wit her favorite kitty cuddler. Is there anything else we can do to help her feel safe and secure?

Also, any tips on how to help her eat and get around?

Are the stores not open where you live right now? I really do recommend a soft collar.

Other than that, you could put a small t-shirt on her and make it snug with a couple rubber bands (like this: http://bp0.blogger.com/_Q819Bg_GTXY/...Terry07-09.jpg)

She's got plenty of room around her collar to eat, she's just not used to it yet.

Originally Posted by SFkittylover

Hi Everybody,

My poor kitty just got treated for an abscessed anal gland and has to wear an e-collar for the next 14 days.

When we got home, she ran around the house frantically, jumping up on furniture and climbing whatever she could. We tried our best to catch her so she wouldn't open her just-stitched wound.

She's calmed down a bit, but she's still super freaked out. When she was a kitten, she got a plastic bag stuck over her head and it was so traumatic for her that we spent 45 minutes trying to coax her from under a porch. Her reaction tonight made me wonder if she's having flash backs.

Does anyone have suggestions for helping to calm a cat who has just been given an e-collar? Also, the one we got seems way too big. I don't know how she's going to be able to eat or drink with it. Any thoughts about that?

<a target="_top" href="http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i465/sanfrancisconewbie/IMG_20110910_174531.jpg">http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i465/sanfrancisconewbie/IMG_20110910_174531.jpg</a>

Click to expand...

Originally Posted by SFkittylover

It's been three hours still and she's still really scared. I've put her in a dark, quiet room wit her favorite kitty cuddler. Is there anything else we can do to help her feel safe and secure?

Also, any tips on how to help her eat and get around?

Click to expand...

To prevent injury keep the cat in a dog crate with the Elizabethan Collar on. Just leave a litter box in there and a towel. Plus water of course. It can take four or five days for the cat to get used to the collar.

I would not recommend a softer one. But that is just my opinion as a veterinarian technician. I have seen too many issues from them.

Lastly you can take the E-collar off for her to eat as long as you watch her VERY well. I would also recommend you keep her in the crate when you do that as well.

Hope that was somewhat helpful and made sense. If you need any clarification please let me know .

Some cats do go frantic with the collars on - my Freya is one of them. The good news is that they do calm down eventually.

I'll second the plan to keep them in a smaller area - a big dog crate works well or just leave her in her own carrier for a bit with a towel draped over the top so that it's dark. The less momentum they can build up, the less likely they are to hurt themselves. With Freya, she's freaky until the anasthestic is out of her system - so usually a good few hours after she comes home. we leave her in her carrier, and sit there talking calmly to her, then after awhile, once she's calm in the carrier, we let her out and sit with her.

I usually take a novel or magazine into the room and read to her. the big thing I find is if they start to freak, (Freya tries to jump and roll around) stop them from doing anything that could cause injury, but don't let yourself get excited or else they'll feed off your energy and it will go on longer. Just stop kitty, scruff them if you have to and let them go when they're calm.

Good luck. The first day home with the collar is the worst, but it does usually get better.