Stitches - How do I keep my kitten from licking her stitches?

How do I keep my kitten from licking her stitches?

She just had surgery today so she can't have kittens and she's licking the stitches. How do I prevent her from doing this? Or is it okay for her to lick them? Why does she do that, anyway?

Public Comments

When cats or most animals for that matter, have an injury, whether it be from surgery or another cause, they tend to lick the wound. There is a natural healing agent in the saliva. Unless she is tearing at or biting the stitches, there should be no cause for alarm. However, make sure to check her regularly so as she is not to open the incision.
You can put bag balm around, not on, the stitches. If that doesn't work you can get her a cone for her head. It isn't good for her to lick them. She could open the wound, or get an infection. It also slows the healing time way down. She does that to clean it. although it does more harm than good, In the wild it would get any dirt out but in the home, it lets germs in.
I did quick web search for info.... I would not be alarmed excerpt from one link: I've had a lot of cats spayed and I have never used an E-collar. It is normal for the cats to lick. It becomes a problem when they start tugging at the stitches and trying to pull them out. But usually the tugging hurts and they don't do it too hard. I've even had one pull some stitches out but it healed fine. Those are outside stitches, there is another set of stitches inside. I've never had an incision site get infected either. That mostly happens if they get outside and get dirt in it. http://en.allexperts.com/q/Cats-1606/Kitten-Spayed.htm another link with info http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Your_cat_was_just_spayed_and_she_is_now_licking_her_stitches_Is_this_normal_or_should_you_go_get_an_Elizabethean_collar_from_your_vet_asap I googled cat licking stitches from spaying
Put a cone on her neck, one time I saw a dog tear apart a wound from being fixed and it looked horribly infected. They lick and pull because it seems unnatural and instinctively they do that to remove the foreign body, but its not healthy. Not all of a cats instincts are helpful, sure they know how to birth there kittens alone, and hunt and have strong instincts, but cat instincts are not always the best for them. Cats also hide when they are in pain, because instinctively they don't want us to touch them or cause them pain, but they are like children and we are like there parents, we know what is best for them and we want to help, but like a child they are afraid and don't want us to help.
If you talk to your vet they might hook you up with a cone to put around its head.Please choose ME!
Go to a 24 hour store, veterinarian, or a pet supply store and buy a victorian collar, which is a cone-shaped thing that makes it so she can't get to them. If you can't get one of them right now, you can make one with some thin posterboard. Cut a circle out of the cardboard, cut a line down the middle and cut out a hole in the center. Make it so that it fits around her neck without hurting her, after you bend it around in the cone-shape. You can either put some felt on the edges or cut little slits around the edges of the neck part, so it is not too sharp on her little neck. The ones in the stores are the best. She won't like it very much, and will bump into things, but better than pulling stitches out. I had a dog pull her stitches out twice and it is not fun to go to the vet with the incision only partly stitched. Here is what the cone looks like: http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3Fp%3Dcone%2Bcollar%2Bfor%2Bcat%26ei%3Dutf-8%26y%3DSearch%26fr%3Dyfp-t-701&w=500&h=375&imgurl=static.flickr.com%2F3093%2F3121700723_d1247276b1.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Ffruey%2F3121700723%2F&size=139k&name=Neck+Cone+Cat&p=cone+collar+for+cat&oid=2146963cbd64715e&fr2=&fusr=simon_music&lic=5&no=2&tt=142&sigr=11euo8noq&sigi=11gmlgsqc&sigb=13163uemm