He got neutered on Saturday and he's sulking around. Those big sad kitty cat eyes.I know it's only been 3 days. How long did you more experienced cat parents use the cone of shame?
Honestly, male cats do not need an e-collar after being neutered. None of the males I've owned had ever been given an e-collar to wear after being neutered. It's a very small surgical incision that heals pretty quickly. You do want to discourage your cat from licking the surgical site as much as possible to prevent infection. If your cat's surgical site looks fine, then you can take the e-collar off.
My boys just got neutered as well last Friday. Neither had to wear an e collar. Both are back to normal and the incisions are well on their way to healing (they did try to groom the incisions at first).