Kitty tooth extraction and cone requirements

Did everyone who had their cat's teeth extracted (all of them) require a cat cone following the surgery and it has to stay on for two weeks.  Cat hates and has gotten off several times.  Very hard to get back on.  I am worried he will damage stitches or whatever and he will suffer terribly and I will suffer financially.  Any suggestions?  I have the soft cone now and I can turn it back so he can eat but he wants to scratch me because I try to put it back up where he cannot see out or be comfortable.  He never liked any kind of collar and is an indoor cat (mostly) with a few trips outside with me with him and he used to get grass.  Guess he won't need that trip anymore, or won't be able to bite grass.

My ex-foster Topaz had to have most of her teeth extracted with stomatitis, and she had a cone for a week. But here we use transparent ones so the cat can see, and they are not so long that the cat cannot eat. Can you cut it down a bit, leaving enough so she can't get at her mouth?

I am not sure I could have cut the clear one down that he had on first; but it was so hard and he hated it so that I went to the vet and bought a soft one.  He likes better but he still cannot eat unless I turn it backward.  Then he will hardly let me turn it back up afterwards.  Good thing they trimmed his nails a whole lot cause he can still scratch but it would have been much worse.  On top of that, he got off last night while I was sleeping.  I don't think the gums are itching yet so he does not seem to be bothered except when I bother him with meds, but that will probably change and I have got to find an answer to him getting it off before then.