is it necessary for a cat to wear a lampshade/collar post spaying a female cat, some say it can cause distress

Answer 1

I would say it depends on the cat and how much you are able to watch her.. if she doesn't seem to be too bothered with the stitches and isn't licking at it i would see no reason to put it on but if you see her going after it and you are not always around to watch her i would put the collar on her at least when you have to leave her alone... my cats didn't seem to mind the thing at all.. they kind of fooled with it for a few minutes then just gave up and never bothered with it till i took it off

Answer 2

My female cats never required anything of the sort when they were spayed, but my friends two female cats both ripped their stitches out after surgery and had to go back to the vet to get stitched up. What we did was we took an old sock, cut the toe off and pulled it over the kitten, so they couldn't get to the stitches. It makes them walk funny for a bit, but it's probably less stressful than a lampshade collar!

Answer 3

My cat started to lick her stitches as soon as I got her home so I put the collar on and she went absolutely ballistic - throwing herself against the walls and bouncing around the house. It was taken off in double quick time! She is a very nervous cat and I think the combination of the anaesthetic and the strange collar were just too much for her. If your kitty is quite placid there may not be a problem, but even without the collar my cat didn't do that much damage to the stitches and they came out a week later just fine. If the collar isn't absolutely neccessary, don't bother with it.

Answer 4

It absolutely depends on your cat. If she's licking or chewing at the wound then it's a good idea to put a collar on her, at least while you're not around to watch her. Most cats don't bother with their spay wound, but if they do it can lead to infection or an open wound that has to be restitched. Covering the wound doesn't really work, it seems to draw their attention to it.

It's true that some cats freak out with a lampshade collar, but most of them figure out that it's not going to kill them fairly quickly. It only has to be a small one to stop them reaching the wound. You can't let them outside with it on in case they get tangled up in something.

So, it all depends how your cat reacts.

Answer 5

If your cat doesn't pick at her incision site or chew at her stitches, I don't think it's necessary for her to wear the collar.

I had a female cat once who tore her stitches out immediately upon her return home. I had to turn around and take her back to the vet. He put metal staples in her incision. She chewed those out too. Then came the second return trip to the vet. This time, he put wire stitches in. She tried to pull those out, but managed only to pull the stitches tighter by tugging at the metal with her teeth.

The vet said the next step would be the collar, if she pulled the metal stitches out. Fortunately, she did not succeed.

I'm sure your vet gave you oral or written instructions for post-surgery care, so I'm sure your kitty will be just fine.

Answer 6

My cat never wore one when she was spayed. She licked her stiches a little, but didn't chew them. If your cat is quite an anxious cat usually (as opposed to docile!) they may be more likely to chew.

Best to see what the vet says and maybe get one that you can have handy just in case. You could ask about a scented repellent that would stop her going near the stiches. If she does have to wear it, it will only be for a short while and it is for her own good. She how she goes!

Hope this helps :-)

Emmie x

Answer 7

Odd I should find this question today we have had 5 cats spayed and neutered earlier today.
they are liayng all over the room resting not a one with a satellite dish

Dishes do cause distress
No they are not necessary 9 times out of 10

Answer 8

No, it is not a necessity, but if you don't have the collar on the cat you should have something covering the spot of the operation. When I got my cat back from the vet they had put what looked like a little sweater on her. it was actually one of those things doctors use to put under casts, and they had cut out holes for her paws. She seemed fine with her little sweater.

Answer 9

I've had several cats and I've never used one for when a cat has been spayed. Recently one of my cats had to have an eye removed and she wore one for a day or so but as soon as it began to distress her we took it off. She never bothered the site of the operation.

Answer 10

My cat only wears a lampshade when she's drunk:) Actually, she never had to have one after spaying. I think it just depends on how much your cat will tend to lick the wound.