We never used a kennel when Tom came home. We kept him on the love seat with the living room shut off from the rest of the cats, and he was wearing his cone for two weeks until the sutures came out, and then we put it back on him for another two weeks because he groomed himself raw. He got to have his cone off for meals, and they were always very wet so that he could get his fluids because he couldn't use the water fountain with the cone on.