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My spayed cat keeps getting out of her cone and vest. What to do?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed | 5 years and 2 months old | 9.9 lbs

We had our 5 year old cat spayed today and she kept taking her cone off so we bought her a vest, but everytime we leave the room she somehow manages to get out of it! What shall I do? She isn't biting the stitches, just cleaning them then leaving them alone. Thanks

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Megan, DVM, CVA

Veterinarian

Published on March 6th, 2018

You could try a baby/infant t-shirt to see if this will prevent her from getting to the stitches. You may also consider one of the inflatable collars that are more comfortable but still prevent them from licking incisions on their abdomen. You can usually find these are your local Petco or pet store. I hope this helps!

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    Answered By Lauren Barry, BVSc, MRCVS, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on June 5th, 2017

    I can totally understand how kitties like Alice can wiggle out of their cone or body suit. I'm glad you've tried both. I wonder if you could try another way of covering it - like a small baby onesie or even a small scarf around her belly? Check her wound at least twice a day and if it looks swollen or has a discharge you need to take her back to your vet for an exam and possibly antibiotics. Don't apply any creams to her skin unless your vet recommends something, sometimes they slow healing.

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    Answered By Dr. Elizabeth

    Veterinarian

    Published on June 25th, 2019

    The photo is pixilated but it appears the incision looks red and may have a little gapping. If this is accurate, I recommend to have her examined by her veterinarian today. Make sure she is wearing an elizabethan collar at all times to prevent licking. You may also want to keep her in the bathroom or other small room without tall furniture to keep her activity restricted. Best of luck.

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I had my cat spayed Saturday i noticed she has licked her incision a little bit i bought a collar but she fought till shw had it kicked off with her back feet do uhave any suggetions
Hi there. You can try using a small T shirt backwards on her so she can still urinate but so her incision is covered. You can also get a collar for her and use a hair tie to secure the e collar to the collar so she can't kick it off. It may also be too big for her, your vet may have some that fit better. I hope that helps. Thanks for using Boop by Petco.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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6 month old kitten spayed today. She is very stressed out and won't keep her collar on. She's trying to bite her stitches and trying to jump on furniture. All vets are closed as it's nighttime, what can we do?
You can try to use a pet shirt or baby onesie to cover the stitches. Or make a belly bandage using whatever you have around the house - like clean dish towels and duct tape. If you have a small kennel or carrier, Bonnie may need to stay in there to stay confined since excessive running or jumping can cause internal sutures to loosen up and cause bleeding problems. You may call your vet tomorrow or look at pet stores for different styles of e-collars. Some are shaped like a cone, some are floppy like a sunhat and can be worn pointing towards the shoulders, and some are inflatable donuts.
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My Cat just got spade and her shots. She had to get a cone for her head but she some how managed to get it off. What should I do so she doesn’t take it off or mess with her stitches tonight so I can sleep?
Thank you for submitting your question regarding your cat. You can try feeding her collar through her cone to make it more difficult to remove. Make the collar snug, but make sure you can place at least two fingers underneath. If this does not help, you can try securing it around her neck and then under her armpits and back up. This attaches it more like a harness if you leave a long enough piece of a guaze tie. I hope this information helps!
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I've just had my kitten spayed today and she is not happy about her collar at all and I have to constantly watch her so she doesn't take it off which she's done already once and I've had to put it back on, and I'm worrried she'll remove it while I'm
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My cat was spayed yesterday and wont stop licking her incision. It looks open just a little and a little bit wet like it could be infected. Should i take her back to the vet???
Hello, thank you for using Boop by Petco. The incision does not look infected now, but if she does not leave it alone, she could open things up. She will probably need to wear a protective cone for a couple of days to allow healing. For tonight, if you have an infant T shirt, or a stretched out tube sock, you can make a little body jacket for her. She may not be too happy with this, but it will definitely take her mind off her incision. Have your vet take a look at the incision tomorrow. He may also have a product you can put around the incision with a yucky taste to stop the licking. Good luck & take care.
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Im not sure if its harmful or not because my cat just got spayed and she's been trying to pull them stitches out. Is it okay or its something normal?
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Our cat was spayed 4 days ago and she keeps managing to lick her incision despite two different cones and trying to cover it with a shirt. Do we need to take her to an emergency vet? Is there a way I can clean this without making things worse?
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Hi I have a 2 year old calico who was spayed on Friday 3/22. We have tried all thins from a cone to a suit to keep her from licking her stitches. She freaks out and flips around until the e collar come off. Worried we are doing more harm than good. A
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Hello! We got our 1yo kitten spayed three days ago. She is a little wiggleworm so somehow she keeps getting out of her cone and licks her stitches a lot. How easily can her wound get infected? We also tried a bodysuit but she managed to get out of t
I can totally understand how kitties like Alice can wiggle out of their cone or body suit. I'm glad you've tried both. I wonder if you could try another way of covering it - like a small baby onesie or even a small scarf around her belly? Check her wound at least twice a day and if it looks swollen or has a discharge you need to take her back to your vet for an exam and possibly antibiotics. Don't apply any creams to her skin unless your vet recommends something, sometimes they slow healing.
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