Sassy cats – The Gus Edition

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Gus in his favorite spot.

Gus had another emergency episode of idiopathic cystitis last Sunday. Idiopathic means that the cause is unknown. His urethra swells up or clogs and he can’t pee. It’s a medical emergency. This is the third time it’s happened in six months.

As scary as it must be for Gus, it is also scary for his peeps. We must find an emergency vet that is open and will take him immediately. We have several in the area but the first time he got it, there were a lot of animal emergencies going on and we were the last in-take at 6 p.m. and we waited 3-1/2 hours.

Depending on the severity, the vet will express the urine or flush the bladder. This week he was flushed. It required a 48-hour stay in the hospital. He had a catheter in his little peepee for most of the time. The staff said that he was very scared (wouldn’t you be if a big giant stuck a tube up your….) and wouldn’t eat for them so they were anxious to get him back home.

The day we picked him up it snowed (of course it did!). Roads were getting icy and things were closing but we got there and got home safely. (Thank you beloved husband who never complains.)

So far, the medical advice has been to put him on a urinary prescription diet that costs more than a mortgage. I have three other cats. There is the chance that the new stuff tastes good (not a chance in hell) and the other three will want it too. Or (most likely) that he will find ways to steal the good stuff from the other cats and negate any diet attempts.

We have him on an over-the-counter urinary wet cat food which should help somewhat. He’s eating it but the other cats are not trying to steal it. That’s a sign that it doesn’t taste like McDonald’s French fries.

There is one other choice and it’s a tough one for me. There is a surgical procedure (that amazingly doesn’t cost much more than his recent 48-hour emergency stay) that will most likely (nothing comes with guarantees) resolve his problem.

The vet would shorten the urethra which would also widen it. Yes it sounds like genital mutilation but my guy is in a lot of pain when he gets these episodes.

I’ve reached out to some cat friends (they are the best!) and the procedure isn’t uncommon. I have a friend who had to have it done on her cat and it did resolve the issue with no problems. Yet it’s a tough decision.

We are going for a consultation in the next couple of weeks (hopefully before he has another attack) and perhaps the soothing voice of the vet will give me the confidence I’m not feeling now. Perhaps some nice margaritas would help too.

Right now Gus is resting on his favorite spot next to me by the office window. I feel a lot of love for this guy. He was found all beaten up by an animal attack at 8 weeks old and spent three years in a rescue sharing a room with 20 other cats. (It was a nice rescue but still!) He deserves good stuff to happen to him.

Sasha is refusing to have anything to do with him. He will walk up to her, and she walks away. No nose kissing or butt smelling. No canoodling. I am sad to see this as they were the loving couple of the year. She doesn’t take absences lightly. In her eyes he deserted her for some whiny Siamese lady cat with a flirty tushy.

If you have any thoughts, I’m all ears.

Gus: Make this all go away…

86 thoughts on “Sassy cats – The Gus Edition”

  1. I don’t normally offer opinions, but since you asked and since my cats are all rescues and have, it seems, contracted every malady known to veterinary science, I’ll make an exception and offer what little wisdom I’ve garnered when it comes to FIC. : )

    I have a female cat with a life history much like Gus’s. She doesn’t have an anatomical obstruction, but she did have stranguria and I thought a UTI. She, even as long as I’ve had her, retains a lot of feral behavior, so pilling her is a hard no, and so is a stranger or even me getting near her for an injection. The vet recommended Hill’s Urinary Care, but it was out of my budget range with so many mouths to feed. (I bought a couple of cans and she did love it, though.) Now, I buy the 5.5 oz cans of ProPlan UTC (better value) and it has worked. She loves it and it did the trick of reducing crystals so she can pee without pain. My cats do feeding stations and although they love her food, they don’t go after it. However, I sometimes mix it with theirs.

    I know that PU is routinely performed in cats with FIC. If you’re sure it’s an obstruction/swelling that can’t be managed non-surgically, I’m sure your vet is more than competent to do it, but you also have an excellent school in UPenn near you, as I’m sure you know. Here are some link to articles that you might be interested in. The NIH journal article is waaay more information than you want or need, but it does have some interesting background on this disorder in cats (I’m kinda nerdy that way). The others are more lay-targeted. Just copy and paste each link in your browser. I’m gonna guess you’ve already found this information, so apologies if duplicated.
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9257190/
    https://www.vet.upenn.edu/veterinary-hospitals/ryan-veterinary-hospital/services/advanced-urinary-care/urinary-care-services
    https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/perineal-urethrostomy-surgery-in-cats
    https://www.hillspet.com/cat-care/healthcare/perineal-urethrostomy-pu-surgery-in-cats

    Give Gus a pet and keep us informed.

    Liked by 1 person

    • First thank you! I was hoping people would tell me their experiences because knowledge is helpful. I have just switched Gus to ProPlan UTC food. He likes it and I’m hoping it helps. The prescription versions (Hill’s was one recommended) are really $$. Feeding time here is a frenzy. I have to supervisor or Sasha will eat everyone’s food. She will go to Gus’s dish which makes Gus go to her dish and eat the food he’s not supposed to eat. I’m considering feeding him in an enclosed room. Gus is a great cat. He eats almost anything and can be easily pilled so I’m very lucky there. There are no signs of stones or bacteria so they don’t know what’s causing it. I’ve read some of the links you included but not all (and I appreciate that you did that). What scares me is that some of the info says that cats have a 3 to 5 year life span after the surgery. He’s only 6. I have a list of questions for the surgeon when we go in for the consultation. The surgery is expensive but not much more than his last stay in the hospital. His last 2 episodes were 3 weeks apart. Too close for comfort for me. Thank you for taking the time and your information was very helpful.

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  2. Pingback: Random 5 for January 21, 2024 – Gus, Gracie, anxiety, renovations, friends | Views and Mews by Coffee Kat

  3. Also, I know I’ve told Carol about your cats before and you about Carol’s cats, so I mentioned Gracie’s barfing issues as one of her cats had barfing issues. I don’t know if you tried this, but I’m passing it along:

    Sometimes cats arf because they eat too fast. Rescue cats can be prone to this as they are used to fighting for food resources. Other cats have issues with eating with neck bent. Try a water/food dish set that sits in a stand and see if that helps.

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      • Could it be the food? I fed Fancy Feast for years and they barfed. Too many cats and not enough money. As the pack has dwindled down, I’ve upgraded food. No barfing. Just a thought.

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        • It could be a food allergy but my problem with Gracie is that she is so picky she won’t eat anything but FF (and only one variety) and rotisserie chicken. The chicken doesn’t have all the nutrients for a cat so I have to get her to eat some cat food. My vet gave me a prescription diet for her. I had 2 cans. Gracie wouldn’t eat it (no surprise there) but neither would any of the other cats. It must have been the feline equivalent of liver and onions for people. Or spam.

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            • I’ve been through a lot myself. The Purina Pro Urinary Track is the first “special” (it’s not prescription) food that everyone (except Gracie of course) likes. It’s $$ so I just feed it to Gus but if Sasha can get a lick, she’ll take it. Gotta love cats.

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      • You’re not nuts – you just love your pets. I think I remember the “whisker fatigue”. Carol has said she can’t have indoor cats anymore. It broke her heart for each of her cats she lost and so now does her best to take care of ferals and if they are sick, if she can she will trap them. She frets over her ferals and has shelters for them, heated pads, straw, heated food and water bowls). Carol is to ferals what I am (or try to be) to the squirrels and birds at the Park). I have let them down today. I just couldn’t go today – too much ice everywhere and it would have been worse there. I did worry about taking a spill – Tuesday we have freezing rain, then in the 40s … then I am the Peanut and Seed Lady again.

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  4. Hi Kate – I asked Carol, my friend who lives in NY and had three cats (unfortunately now all are gone, but lived long lives) if any of her cats had this issue and what were her thoughts on surgery. I told her where you lived. This is what she said:

    Oh, the poor kitty. As long as the surgeon/specialist — and I’d be sure it was a specialist they were talking to — feels it will likely help and not at all hurt — in other words, if it were to fail he would be no worse off — I’d go for it. I very much understand her anxiety about this. You’ll be responsible for any pain. Urinary issues are somewhat not uncommon/common in male cats. I never had that with mine, except Smudge when he at the last got that tumor there, and the day I took him in, his last day, he was clearly in pain, trying to pee and crying and crying. they cathetered him to relieve the pressure and pain but of course the tumor had grown and wouuld continue and it was time for him to go. But I digress.

    So frequent ER visits, it’s worth a try, if they promise to pain med him so there is NO pain post surgery. Kitty doesn’t understand what’s going on, it’s so hard a job being a pet mom or dad.

    They’re in PA, I wonder if they’ve consulted at Cornell. They have an excellent veterinary school/hospital. It was where I would have taken HJ if the specialist had been available when I needed them.

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    • Thanks her for me. This emergency vet (with the specialist surgeon) is very good with pain meds. Gus had a catheter inserted for 48 hours and they flushed his bladder. He was on gabapentin and an opioid pain med. He was very mellow. With the surgery the recovery would be much longer and he’d have to wear a cone so he wouldn’t chew on it. I have a consultation scheduled for the 30th and I have lots and lots of questions. It’s a tough decision. He’s only 6 with a lot of good years left.

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      • I will give her this message now Kate – I am chatting with her on FB. That’s why I asked about Gracie as her cats had issues – one was on raw food and she even said a low dose of Prozac might help. My friend’s dog is on Prozac for thunderstorms, vet recommended and it helped a little.

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  7. Poor Gus. I do wish him well. I said a little prayer for his speedy recovery. I’m sure Sasha will come around. Aw, best wishes to all, and stay warm!! We got a ton of snow yesterday, It’s so beautiful if you don’t have to drive in it. Bless your little heart Gus, hang in there.

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  8. Poor Gus. I am glad he is home, but sorry his love is mad at him. I am sorry I have no advice to offer as I have been lucky so far as not to deal with this issue. I am sure you will make the best choice for him.

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    • This is my first time with blockage. Jake (diabetic) would get UTIs but that is different. It’s very scary as you have to find a vet that will look at him right away. Sasha is warming up to him again but she’s taking it slow.

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  9. I’m so sorry to hear about Gus; you have my sympathies about trying to decide what is best for him. Would getting a second vet opinion give you more confidence about it? Having never had a cat, I can only offer you thoughts and prayers for your fur baby.

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    • I kind of did. If I get the surgery, it will be at the large emergency hospital locally. That’s where I had him on Sunday because his regular vet was closed. I called her during the week and with 3 episodes so close together, she recommends it. I still have to meet with the surgeon to get more information. It’s just scary for all of us.

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      • Carol had something else to pass along to you as to if he has the surgery.

        Those cones are a pain in the butt. It’s hard for the animal to eat. Our vet was using the inflatable collars instead and that was better. Every one of my cats could get out of the cones. Every bloomin’ one of them. Also …

        Buy an infant sleeper and cut off the legs and arms and that might protect the surgical site well enough so they don’t lick/pick at it. Cone or collar at first and then the sleeper.

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        • The sleeper or onesie is good for surgical sites that can be covered. He will continue to pee so that sort of covering won’t help. I will definitely ask about alternatives because I’ve never had luck with the hard cones. Gracie (vet wanted her to wear one for a dental) slashed it through food and wasn’t able to eat or drink so off it went! (I’m don’t believe that a cat needs a cone for a dental. I’ve had a lot of cats with dentals and this was a first.) My vet doesn’t think the soft ones are effective but we’ll see what the surgeon says. Cones are relatively new within the past 10 to 20 years. I never used them for spay surgery or dentals and never had an issue. Chewing on his penis may be an issue. I don’t know. Oh, they wanted Morgan to wear one when she broke her leg. Said she would chew her splint bandage. I had it on her for one day. I kept taking it off so she could eat then I would watch. She never chewed her bandage. She would lick around it to clean herself but didn’t touch it. She had the splint for 11 weeks. Can’t imagine a cone for that long. Thanks again.

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  10. Aww, I can feel your heart hurt for him from your words. Poor guy. See what the vet says before making your decision. I had a cat with those problems and wished they would’ve offered me other alternatives. It was years ago, so maybe they hadn’t done it back then? IDK. As a human who had urinary tract issues when I was 7-years old (yep, very young), I had a procedure where they widened the urethra. It was quite painful afterward, until it healed, but it helped. Sounds like this might be something similar to get it to drain properly and could help. Good luck. 💗

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    • OMG! You had this at 7? You poor thing! I had measles when I was 7. Much simpler. I’ve never had a cat subject to blockages. Jake would get UTIs (common in diabetic cats) but that was easier to treat and not life threatening.

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    • We started with removing all kibble and switching him to all wet and that didn’t work. Now we have him on over the counter urinary track wet food. No one talked about meds. I’d rather give him meds than have him go through surgery.

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  12. It’s more likely Sasha is shunning Gus because he smells like THE VET. We have a kitty with similar bladder problems but not as severe, so we send Gus lots of purrayers and Power of the Paw that he can avoid repeats of this blockage We have read of this operation and it is apparently a lifesaver. We know you will make the best decision for your sweet boy.

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  13. Oh Kate, poor Gus. How awful and how painful for him. Sasha is being very mean when her guy needs her support the most, but don’t cats pick up on ‘odours’ so he probably doesn’t smell like himself.. I hope you can get an appointment and advice. Thoughts are with you.

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    • We are in the middle of a snowstorm and many businesses are down to skeleton crew. I can’t get through to the vet to make an appointment so it’s probably all hands on deck for the critters in the facility and things like appointments will have to wait. I just hope I can get in before there is another occurrence. Last one was Dec. 22 so it wasn’t that long ago. Poor Gus.

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  15. Oh Kate, what a hard place to be in. Poor Gus. I am happy he has you. I have not had any experience with this in any cats that owned us. I will say I would go ahead with the surgery. He can’t go on with these life threatening painful blockages so the surgery seems wise. I think talking to the Dr. will give you some peace and a clear path to a decision. Gosh, you are going to be on my mind.

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  16. Aww! I’m so sorry about Gus and your tough decision! I pray you can feel at peace about the right decision.
    Ooh Sasha! Gus needs you. Poor guy. Hopefully, Sasha will come around.

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    • Always something. Gracie is annoyed that I’m not focused on her barfing (which continues). Yesterday, just to be in with the gang Sasha barfed her breakfast (which she ate too fast). The juju in the house is off and everyone is feeling it.

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  18. Oh no! Poor Gus! In pain, scary situation, and now being ignored by his Sasha! The surgery sounds like a good idea – hopefully it will help him avoid these emergencies in the future. And for you and BH, hopefully avoid any more of these vet emergencies!

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  20. Oh, Kate! I get how awful this situation is for both Gus and his peeps. I thought about it, changing the main character to be you, instead of Gus, and wondered if you’d hesitate to get the surgery rather than continue to suffer. I know I’d be 100% for the surgery unless the odds were a high number that it wouldn’t be helpful.

    I suspect you will choose the surgery once the anxiety has found a way to leave your brain and heart, where it has lodged.

    I’ll pray that you and Gus come back from this sooner than later!

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    • I have a litany of worries. Could he get incontinent or drippy. Is the recovery long. If it was me, I would understand it and make a decision but for poor Gus who thinks we are torturing him….

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  23. Poor dear Gus. It’s so awful to go through this for him and for you. So I have no advice, but I will tell you our story in case anything helps. Meesker, when he lived with son and DIL, had a blockage and it ended up costing $5,000 and a surgery of some kind (not the kind you’re thinking of) and that was quite a few years ago. He was put on Royal Canin urinary care. He loves it, and yes, other cats like it, but it is high in sodium and so not that great for the other cats. The sodium is to encourage drinking water. He’s been on this food for years, it costs a fortune, but he has never had another episode. My dearly departed Felix had a blockage. He didn’t care for the urinary food, but he had GI troubles as well. I began to suspect that Felix’s blockage was caused because Perry would stake out the main litter box (Felix lived in the kitchen by choice and so there was only one litter box area where he could go although I did stick another one in a really inconvenient place so he would have somewhere else to go). I realized that sensitive Felix was feeling uncomfortable going potty with Perry around. I put a little camera over the litter box so I could monitor even when I wasn’t home. This went on, but Felix who ended up staying on his regular food, never had another episode once we knew what was going on and were super proactive to prevent the bullying. So fast forward to me getting Meesker. Now I have this cat who had a blockage and has been on the script food all these years. I realized with him here and me watching that Lily had been SUPER bullying him for years. Once we saw Lily trying to “kill” Sloopy Anne and we put up a gate, Meesker is a happy camper. He and Sloopy Anne are in the bedrooms and hallway, the other 3 cats are in the living room, kitchen, etc. I keep him on the urinary food as a precaution and because he loves it and has had it for years. But I do think that both OUR CASES was caused by sensitive boys not being comfortable with one of the other cats around the litter box.
    If Felix had had another instance of blockage, we would have had the surgery done btw. The emergency vet talked to us about it.
    Good luck with your boy. I’ll be sending lots of positive vibes for sweet Gus.

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    • I’ve been wracking my brain about possible stressors. Sasha is a diva but Gus is bigger than her and he seems to adore her (or at least he did). They would groom each other and nap together. Initially when I brought him home, I isolated him in our upstairs cat room with a single littler box. No other cat could enter as the door was closed. He peed a lot (which was the goal). After about 36 hours, I let him out in general population. He stopped using the upstairs litter box and went back downstairs. He is sticking close to me this week. He’s also on gabapentin so he’s quite laid back. If he hadn’t had 2 other ones, I wouldn’t be in this spot but as the vet tech said to me, usually for owners it’s 3 strikes and it’s surgery. It doesn’t happen at convenient or planned times. We are now in the middle of a snowstorm so today would be a bad day for one. i seem to be worrying about that as well. The consultation with the doc should help. He has all the records. Gus’s regular vet is recommending the surgery (she is of the 3 strikes group). Sigh! My old cat Jake would get UTIs (diabetic) but they were bacteria based and not blockages so a round of antibiotics would fix him up and it wasn’t an emergency.

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      • I really feel for you guys. My dearly departed Pear always had a UTI and then would need 3 weeks of Clavamox. Then a month later she would have another. But it wasn’t like these blockages, although she would suddenly be straining, running around like a crazy woman, and having a little blood come out. It always started about ten minutes after the vet’s office closed for the day, so we started keeping an unmixed Clavamox on hand so we could avoid ER visits. But you can’t mess around with the boys. How old is Gus?

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        • He is 6. Will be 7 mid-year. Did more research and it says the life span after surgery is 3 to 5 years. My cats live from 14 to 18 years. We are in the midst of yet another snowstorm so I couldn’t get through to make an appointment with the vet (probably skeleton staff). I’ll try tomorrow. Ultimately he should have helpful info. My Jake (diabetic) would get UTIs that were bacteria based too. Not an emergency and cleared with antibiotics. Every urine culture for Gus comes back with no bacteria. And yes, always just after they close or weekends, holidays, birthdays, or just as you are heading out for an event (and of course dressed nicely).

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  24. Oh, poor Gus! What a terrible way to lose weight. Rough on you the peeps as well. Hope Sasha comes back around. I would schedule the surgery. It seems like it fits the diagnosis, is affordable (and will save money in the long term) and has a good chance of resolving the problem. We’ve had to consider surgeries for our pets that were much more invasive and extensive (and super expensive) with much poor prognoses. It’s hard, and you get so emotional, but I am confident you’re going to do whatever is best for Gus. How old is he?

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  25. Well, poor sweet Gus! He smells funny from the vet. I think Sasha will be back cuddling with him pretty quickly.

    Gus is starting to sound like FUS. Do they still talk about FUS? It killed one of my cats back in the day and they finally got all the food makers to cut back on the magnesium (I think) and it kind of seemed to disappear. My cat George and my folk’s cat Sam both had an abnormally short penis and had to have their penis removed. George had too much damage already done and didn’t survive. We knew the symptoms when Sam got it and he did well for a long, long life afterward. I don’t know that this is the same thing and I guess that I’ve given you a 50/50 story.

    Apparently it’s now called Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD). Based on my memory and a bit of reading, I’d guess that Charlie’s gravel probably still falls in this category. In his case it required surgery to clean out the bladder and then he was fine. That’s on the list of treatment options.

    If your vet is recommending the surgery I would go with it. The more episodes he has, based on my experiences with George and Sam and some light reading, the more damage he can do to his urethra. Talk to your vet. You know Gus the best, if a change in food will help, will he actually change his food? George absolutely refused the vet food but it was early days back then, there weren’t really any options besides science diet. There are a lot of foods now made for urinary issues and it may be that one of them would be more palatable.

    My thoughts are with you and Gus and the crew.

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    • Yes it is FLUTD but there aren’t any stone or mucous plugs to block. They flushed but only found minor sediment. They say stress could be a factor. He is my cat. How can he be stressed? No decisions, no hunting for food, I want to be my cat! Nothing has changed and he’s very laid back. Right now he is eating Purina Pro Plan over the counter urinary track wet food. He seems to like the chicken (but not quite as much as his old Fancy Feast chicken). Tried the turkey which is a pate instead of bits in gravy. He ate it but it’s the last thing he eats. Hopefully I’ll be less conflicted when I talk to the vet. Thank you for your story and opinions. It really helps. And yes, he did smell funny. Even I could tell but he came home on Tuesday and she is still dissing him. Such a fickle cat.

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      • Information is power. You now know that it doesn’t seem to be a stone or mucus block issue. You know that you can get him to eat some wet food which increases his fluid intake. Pro plan makes urinary care crunchies and of course there are a ton of other foods you could try.

        You also know he has a narrow urethra. You are having a consult with an expert? I think the biggest factor (other than cost) is whether the food is very likely to be helpful or not. Gus has already had three episodes, does the expert think that in Gus’s case that the food will solve the problem or is surgery really his best option?

        And now from left field, I have chronic cystitis. It feels like a bladder infection and when inflamed, I am running back and forth to the bathroom constantly and have little or no output. As a people, I increase my fluids and that flushes my system and the irritation decreases or goes away. No stones or anything like that. Other than canned food I don’t know how you can get a cat to drink more. Would he like one of those water fountains?One of the treatments is bladder training where you don’t run back and forth to the bathroom, but rather wait longer and longer times. Learning to not give into the impulse is the only way to ever get any sleep again. People can do that, I’m thinking it’s not an option for Gus. The only other thing I can do is to take the OTC pill that helps the inflammation. Do they have something like that for cats?

        I’m not trying to be funny. Will Gus eat the food? Can you get him to drink more or at least eat the canned food? Are there options for treating the irritation of the bladder? What about quality of life because that whole thing about being a person versus being a cat is a real issue. I know that if I don’t drink enough I will get an irritated bladder and I still don’t always drink enough.

        To be honest, if there was a surgery that solved chronic cystitis, I’d opt for the surgery because as a people, I have the right to make my own medical decisions. You love Gus. Use all the information you can get. But don’t be afraid of the surgery if that’s his best option for a happy, healthy life.

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        • I’ve wondered if there is a pill (steroid) that would calm inflammation but wouldn’t the vet have recommended that? He had an opioid pain killer for a few days. He is usually not a picky eater but he has his likes and dislikes. He is eating over the counter urinary food ok. It would be easier if there weren’t 3 other cats with other foods he might like to try. From the looks of it, he hasn’t lost any weight despite not eating at the vet. Being a chonker isn’t helpful to this either.

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    • Thanks. I’m hoping to feel better about it after talking with the ER vet. My vet doesn’t do that type of surgery so that’s part of my discomfort but on the other hand, it would be good to have someone do it that does it often.

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  27. You already know my thoughts, since I’m one of those cat friends. I wouldn’t hesitate for a moment to schedule that surgery. I remember many years ago when kitten Minh had a bloody mouth/gums for months and full mouth extraction was recommended. Scared us crazy too, and not a cheap procedure. We met with the dentist still not sure what to do, but he was great and gently convinced us this was Minh’s best option. 80% chance of it being curative. Luckily Minh was in the 80% but it is always scary making those big decisions. But I bet that surgery will be good for Gus and for Gus’s peeps too.

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  28. This is a toughie…..bless his heart poor Gus has to be in pain with this condition and if he can’t/won’t eat the special diet stuff what’s a Mom to do. It’s also tough to make these kinds of decisions for our pets isn’t it relative to surgical procedures. If others say it works, I’d be inclined to hope for the best and do it for his sake. We all have our fingers crossed for you and sweet Gus of course and know you’ll do what feels like the right thing. This kind of thing is the “not so much fun” part of having pets – he sure deserves smooth sailing with a start like he had though. Sending YOU hugs and of course some for that boy too!!

    Love, Pam and Teddy

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    • ❤️Thanks for your kind words. I’m having a heap of anxiety about this. Hopefully the consult will resolve (or make worse) my anxiety. He will need to have a stupid cone so he doesn’t chew on it. I hate cones on cats. Most of the time I just don’t use them but for this one, I’d have to agree with the vet. He could chew on his new peepee. That alone is upsetting. I know they get sort of used to it but remember Gracie and her attempt to eat with a cone. It involved food flung far and wide.

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      • Would one of those soft bigger cones maybe work? I’ve never had to use a cone of any kind on my cats but the soft ones that “get in their way” when they want to chew on themselves might be more comfortable than the plastic ones.

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        • I will pursue any option that is better than the hard one. For some surgeries they can use a onesie but he will need to pee somehow. I didn’t use one for Morgan’s broken leg (they thought she’d chew on the splint wrapping but she didn’t) or Gracie’s extensive dental (she never pawed her mouth — they gave me pain meds for her and that helped).

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