How to keep a Cat From Scratching a Neck Wound

When you stitch a wound, your cat may like to scratch it afterwards because the shaved area starts to get itchy as the hair follicles grow back. Your cat will try to scratch it as it feels uncomfortable. However, this may lead to bleeding and sometimes remove sutures. But here are some other causes why your cats won’t stop scratching their necks:

  • The formation of a scab.
  • Bacterial or fungal infection.
  • The hairs growing back.
  • Allergies caused by foods, environmental irritants, or dust.
  • Bites from mites, ticks, or fleas.
  • Feeling of discomfort in the throat area.
  • Sometimes stress caused by discomfort or pain.

Now you know the main reasons why your cats won’t stop scratching their necks, you need to know how to stop it. Because the scratching will jeopardize the healing process, it can attract bacteria to the open wound too. The preventions are as follows:

Elizabethan Collar:

This collar looks like a cone, and it surrounds the cat’s neck to head. This will help to prevent the cat from scratching. It is cone-shaped; thus your cat won’t be able to scratch itself by rubbing the head or body against the floor with the cone on. This is also known as e-collar and is really sturdy and will not harm your cat

Soft and Flexible Collars

These types of collars are really easy to put on. Your cat can also easily drink, or eat with it as it is a soft collar. It usually draped downward from the area of attachment. It is the opposite of the cone collar. Your cat will also find it hard to take it off.

Bandaging the Neck

This technique will help prevent your cat from causing any harm to the existing injury. You can bandage the neck by using a stretch gauge and with some self-sticking gauge. Make sure you are not wrapping the neck too tightly as it can choke your cat.

Baby Onesie

  • Baby onesies for babies 3-6 months will work well for your cats. But it will depend on how big or small your cat is.

If you follow these steps you will able to prevent your cat’s neck from scratching.