My kitten can't eat with her lampshade :(

Caroline_a

So, despite all the good advice you have been given on here - t shirts, babygrows, raised bowls, taking it off while you watch her eat, etc, etc, you are going to keep the lampshade on regardless, knowing that she will only have a treat or two during this period? I'm fairly sure that your vet would be happy for you to remove the lampshade while you sit next to her eating and preventing her from licking, and then when she's eaten put the thing back on her. If not, I would ask your vet how he proposes that she eats?

Words fail me, I'm out. Poor cat.

suburbanwifey

Well I have an update and things have improved somewhat, which is good

I called the Vet earlier this morning as soon as they opened and explained that Molly simply either won't eat or can't eat with the lampshade on. I asked if they sold those soft e-collars as I had ordered one from the internet and it would be a few days until it arrived. I was told that they knew about them but had tried to get a regular supply but had been unable (not sure I believe that as I didn't have any trouble finding one and I'm sure the eBay seller who has currently sold 180+ of them hadn't had trouble sourcing any. Maybe its a cost issue to them? who knows ...)

Vet asked if I had tried chicken, I said yes. He said she will be need to be brought in if she hasn't eaten by this afternoon as 3 days is too long to go without calories etc. I told them about the Dreamies, and they said 'That's good then, but whilst 20 Dreamies will provide calories its mainly fat so not too good for her, so we need to find a solution. I explained that no way would we be able to get the lampshade back on if we took it off as Molly would fight and as she has a healing operation we don't feel safe trying to hold her too tight or pin her down.

Vet said the issue with bowls is that if they are bigger than the shade she can't eat. Do we have a tiny bowl or small saucer. I went off to search my kitchen and found a couple of small Mason Cash pie bowls which were indeed smaller than the shade. I then opened a pouch and put half in. Moll was laid on couch so I took it to her, she sniffed it and turned away. I think she's also depressed her little life as she knew it has changed beyond belief due to the lampshade.

I then started telling her soothingly that she was a clever girl and she had to eat to get better and stroked her lots as I talked. I then thrust the bowl inside the shade (gently!) and pushed it into her mouth, so her mouth was coated with food. She then pulled away and licked it off :T so I did the same again and to cut a long story short, she lowered her head into the bowl whilst I held it and ate half of it. So she has finally eaten 1/4 of a standard 100g pouch. Its a start :T I was so pleased

Got back on phone to Vets and told them, they are wanting me to do this until Monday, by which we hope the soft e-collar is here and I am to take her in and they will fit the e-collar. They explained that she will keep still for them on the table as she is unsure of her surroundings. They will also check her tummy by giving it a squeeze or something. She seems happier now she has eaten and is now sat on window looking out, licking the lampshade, I think she is trying to wash her face but as she can't get her paws anywhere near her face she is improvising lol

Vet said to ensure she didn't have too many Dreamies as although cats love them they are too high in fat. I have also just order some Sheba Desire from Amazon - delivery tomorrow as I am a Prime Member. That sort of deliciousness, teemed with the tiny Mason Cash pudding bowl inside her lampshade will keep her going until the new soft collar arrives I think.

So, both Molly and me are feeling better this morning.

For the lady that made the accusatory post, I would do anything for my cats, I don't have children and they are my children, I would do anything for my cats! You have no need to be worried that Molly would be left to starve. I posted on here for help to solve my problem, had i not cared to find a solution I would not have posted and taken heed of the excellent advice I was given would I, not would I have purchased the soft e-collar a kind poster pointed out to me.

aileth

So glad she is eating. We had to hold a small dish up with special food the vet gave us for ours when he had cone, I kept saying to myself I hope he doesn't get used to this!

PurpleJay

My vet said we could take the collar off when Rosie was supervised and it wasn't to hard to get back on. Yep she wiggled but I could hold her by kneeling behind her and trapping her between my knees. I could do it alone. Fr future ref, wrapping a towel round a cat is a good way to keep their paws and claws out of the way. 2 people should manage it. You may need to do this if she ever needs tablets!

We also didn't have pain meds at home. Just an injection at the vets. Stitches were taken out on day 7. Just a few weeks ago.

SingleSue

With my cat Jaz (short for Jasper), I put a saucer with food on top of something else so that it had the height and was easier for him to get to....well after I had tried feeding him stuff direct from my hand and him not being interested and umpteem attempts by him to gain access to his normal bowl and failing.

For his painkillers (needed as he had just had his hip joint removed - double severe hip dysplasia), he was good enough to take his medication via a syringe without any problems at all. He is still good now for taking his medication, he knows that when he is in pain, mummy will take it all away with the magic squirty thing!

suburbanwifey

PurpleJay wrote: »

My vet said we could take the collar off when Rosie was supervised and it wasn't to hard to get back on. Yep she wiggled but I could hold her by kneeling behind her and trapping her between my knees. I could do it alone. Fr future ref, wrapping a towel round a cat is a good way to keep their paws and claws out of the way. 2 people should manage it. You may need to do this if she ever needs tablets!

We also didn't have pain meds at home. Just an injection at the vets. Stitches were taken out on day 7. Just a few weeks ago.

Thanks for your comment. The Vet on the phone this morning suggested that I take off the lampshade only to let her eat if we couldn't get her to eat with it on and said it must be put back as soon as she has finished. I admit I am the problem here as I am too scared to take it off incase I cannot get it back on. Am so scared of hurting her as she has an operation site that is only few days old and no idea if she is in any pain. Vet said, like yourself, a towel is a great way to calm her and keep her claws in, its me, I'm terrified to try! I worry too much that I won't get it back on. She's been sleeping happily the last couple of hours since eating, so I am so pleased today, going to use the small Mason Cash bowl again later and then tomorrow the posh nosh arrives (very expensive Sheba! which I'll reserve just for Molly, the other 2 aren't getting any, they can stay on Whiskas Grilled Pouches which they love) which I am assuming Molly will love so much she will gobble it from the small dish.

Its all been so traumatic for both of us this spaying. Hope I never have to go through it again, its so hard looking at her shaved area, seeing the wound, the stitches, seeing her with the lampshade, it hurts me inside and then all the trouble with food and vet saying do not take lampshade off and then saying i can when I phone up panicking about her not eating and then me too scared to take it off as he made such a fuss about it staying on :eek: its all been too much for Moll and me, I'm off for a nap also, stressed

suburbanwifey

SingleSue wrote: »

With my cat Jaz (short for Jasper), I put a saucer with food on top of something else so that it had the height and was easier for him to get to....well after I had tried feeding him stuff direct from my hand and him not being interested and umpteem attempts by him to gain access to his normal bowl and failing.

For his painkillers (needed as he had just had his hip joint removed - double severe hip dysplasia), he was good enough to take his medication via a syringe without any problems at all. He is still good now for taking his medication, he knows that when he is in pain, mummy will take it all away with the magic squirty thing!

What a lovely post! felt tears in my eyes when I read it, its lovely that your Jaz trust you so much xx

Locky

When our cat, also called Molly, was spayed, she'd been home half an hour and had already popped the cone off three times! She used her back legs to get it off!

She was very annoyed when we held her down to put it back on so we gave up in the end and took it off. We phoned the vets for advice and they said she must keep it on but there was no way that was happening!

We kept an eye on them to make sure neither her nor her brother licked her stitches but, luckily, they were both fine and she healed perfectly. (She didn't have any pain medication either - it didn't seem to bother her at all.)

Cats heal quickly so I'm sure your Molly will be fine and get back to normal soon

shelly

I understand you are worried about her struggling when changing the collars over but I wouldn't bother taking her to the vets to let them change it over (but then my two get stressed when travelling so I don't take them in the car unless it's necessary)

I did something similar to PurpleJay with Pixie when putting the soft collar on her and that was to sit on the bottom step of the stairs, put her between my legs then cross my feet over at the ankles. She was then trapped inbetween my legs and couldn't wriggle to get away.

Believe me, I too was worried about it the first time as it was the day after having her belly stitched back up (with a 5 inch wound) and I was worried she would struggle and open herself up again but she was fine.

Lifeforms

Glad things are working out for you!
Not a cat thing, but when our very mad rescued female dog had to have stitches for something, she came back with the doggy size cone of shame.
Wellll. Mum had just decided that day to dye some clothes, and with cone of shame walking around trying to remove it on everything, the dog managed to knock the jug full of pure dye everywhere! Up the walls, over the floor, on the utility furniture, and worst of all over herself. Cue the bath of the dog, and nothing looked the same colour again after that. Even the vet queried why the cone we took back was purpler than when it went away...

Gotta love pets!