ElizaSoft Recovery Collar S (5.5 in)

Our middle (and most special) kitty has severe food allergies and anxiety issues and who knows what else. He was a "rescue," eg. what happens when you see a purebred cat for sale on Craigslist for $50. Scary. Because he's such a freakshow, the hard "cone" collars only make the skin breakouts worse. We've tried the transparent ones, too. That worked until....until....did I mention that middle kitty is a panic pooper? It's not pretty, friends.The next option is the inflatable collar that looks like a mini life preserver. Those are better than the hard cone versions for sure. Although he had plenty of room to enter and exit the litterboxes and an extra litter box without a cover was provided for him just in case, the inflatable collar made middle kitty decide that the litterbox was not a happy place. And when middle kitty has a breakout and isn't in a collar, he scratches and bites and chews. Repeat. We have once or twice been at the point where the vet considered hospitalizing him sedated until they could get his skin under control, so if there is one tiny sore, we have to be on it.And this random collar is the winner! I don't quite understand why it works, but it does. And it has worked for this cat repeatedly. The collar will prevent him from working at sores on his abdomen, chest, and boy parts. He could get to them if he thought about it, but somehow the fabric is always in his way. The collar has plenty of give for sleeping and getting in and out of the litterbox. And middle kitty is much bolder when wearing his cape! It is an amazing thing to watch. He can wriggle his way out of it, but doesn't usually do that unless he really needs to scratch an itch.PROtips:Sizing of the collar (the inch measurements) and made from the inside of the collar at the neck to the edge. The small size is plenty large for middle kitty who is not a small cat at 11 pounds.Tie the collar about as tight as you would tie your shoes. In fact, we use the same knot. It has worked best for us to tuck all of the ties and such underneath the collar and rotate it around so the ties are in the front (still under the collar). Check to make sure the ties aren't peeking out under the collar and trim back any pieces that are. (If you don't do this and you have multiple pets,​ you'll just be starting a war you don't need.)Take off the collar once or twice a day if you can. It helps if you have two people here. While one person monitors the cat and does any wound care that is needed -- don't forget to scratch those itches! -- the other person can wipe down the collar with a damp cloth and whatever cleaning solution your pet can manage. Be careful because you can't rinse this collar. If you can, it would be even better to have two collars so you could swap trade them out every day. We've managed with one just fine though.Have questions? Feel free to ask me in the comments. Happy to help.

I purchased both the extra small, size 4" and the small, size 5.5" because the product description wasn't clear on which would fit my 10lb, 1 1/2-year-old Siamese cat. I found the 4" to be acceptable both in neck circumference and distance from neck extending beyond his nose, and even needed to make it smaller around his neck, using the drawstring, to keep it on. The 5.5" was about the length from neck out beyond his nose as the hard plastic cone issued by the vet after my cat's surgery, extended far beyond his face, and was too large in circumference for his neck, even with a drawstring. I like that this soft material is easier for him to sleep on, and isn't as heavy for him to have to carry around, as the hard cone. The vet said this material might be easier for my cat to remove because it would give him material to grab, but so far he hasn't either tried or been able to do so. The drawstring is inside a fabric channel except where you tie it into a bow, so isn't something as likely for him to get his paw stuck in as the gauze string the vet used with the hard cone. I returned the 5.5" collar/cone - I think it would be better suited for a much larger cat, or a cat with a larger head, such as a Persian or Maine Coon or other bigger-headed breed.

My dog is completely uncooperative when trying to put on a collar. He doesn't like putting his face through the small open. But since this paper collar is flexible (unlike the rigid plastic cones), I can put his face into the large cone opening and pull the cone towards his shoulders and his head will just slide easily throught the smaller opening. At this point the cone is facing the wrong direction. But once it is on, I flip the large open over so the small opening is still around his neck and the large opening is now around his face. Or, in other word, I put on backwards and then flip it over. Plastic collars aren't a great option. He tends to bump into things with the collar on and I'm afraid he will get hurt since the plastic is so rigid.

It's good if u know what u need it for. I have a very sick cat, she has dermatitis and scratched herself all over her ears, face and neck. So I needed something soft that would not rub her already very sensitive skin. It is very pliable, and comfortable for a cat to wear and sleep in. The trim around the neck is soft. I ordered a small for my 10 pound cat. Collar was bigger than expected but provided good coverage. I even washed it several times which was very helpful. However, since it is rather thin, after two weeks, She managed to rip holes in it with her back claws. Also the ties are long, they get in the water and get wet. Over all it is a good product but for my severely ill cat it was a one time use. I still recommended it because it is very flexible. I also bought a plastic color with soft neckline and interchanged them as needed. I didn't notice any preference in my cat's behavior.