Urgent Help Needed

My 3 yo got his tail caught in a door on Monday night. It stripped the top layer of skin down to the cartilage and he needed to spend last night at the vets so they could put him under, clean and stitch him up. We picked him up this afternoon and he had on one of these collars (Elizabethan Collars) to keep him from biting his stitches off. There has to be a better way to keep him from doing this. He can't even rest his head down to sleep and has a real hard time trying to eat and drink. We did try to take it off, but he went right for the tail, so I know that he needs something there, but I have never had to have a cat recover with this around their neck before. He looks so sad!!!!

Any advice!?!?!? He is also knocking things over in the house because he can't get through the spots that he used to get through without the color on. I thought about the Bitter Apple products, but it's been so long since I needed to use any of this that I'm not even sure that it is still available.

Doris

The E collar is temporary- and it needs to stay on, otherwise he will bite and worry the tail. You can make it easier for him, by confining him in one room, and build up a bed for him so he can sleep easier. Also you can elevate his food dish on a pedestal so he can eat easier, also take a look at this website

http://www.bonafido.com/page6.html

That looks great, but by the time I ordered it, and they sent it to me, he won't need it anymore. Do you know if any of the big pet stores carry this item in their store or where I could get it sooner? I am going to try to make one, but I'm not sure how they tie it around the neck. To me, that would be dangerous for the cat and it could come untied?

Any vets surgery will sell them. When Rosie got spayed i didn't get one and wished i had so until i could get to the vets the following day they told me to make a makeshift one from a cereal box which i did and it did the trick!.

Cut a large circle from the box, fold it in half, then cut a half circle big enough to fit round his neck, then just stick a bit tape on once around the cats neck.

It's trial and error finding the right size but it does work

You could also try feeding him out of your hand perhaps...?

Hi,
ask your vet if they have a newer coller my vet's practice had - it was for very small dogs, is clear plastic, thinner and shorter in the face - still long enough that Patrick was unable to rub an eye that needed healing, but so light, he ate and could drink just fine.

Our experience with the soft e-collars was not good, but that was just Patrick and I <G>.

I put Sebastian in a room by himself last night because I didn't want him hurting himself and it seemed the best thing to do. When I got up and checked on him this morining, he got the collar off!!! The stitches look fine, but I don't know if he did any harm by licking it. I know that they say that licking heals, so I hope that he is alright. I put the collar back on him and he isn't happy again. Do you think that Bitter Apple will keep him from chewing on it? My only problem with that is that if it helps during the day, it certainly won't last through the night and he will still be able to get it off again!!

What a clever little boy you have there, Doris! Sierra sends kisses to your sweet tail, Sebastian, that it will heal up very quickly.

Thanks, Seirra, he really needs that!! I called the vet and the receptionist didn't have any suggestions so she is checking with the Doctor.

That's great that you called his Vet. Sure hope the Dr. has a suggestion for something so Sebastian can feel more comfortable as he heals.