For the next two days my cat will play the part of a walking lampshade. No, he won’ after my vet put one of those plastic cones on his neck.

This afternoon I was petting him when I noticed blood coming from a cut on the bottom of his chin. Alarmed, I called the vet who asked to see photos of the cut. She could tell from the photos that the cut was infected and told me to bring him in as soon as I could.

I was able to get an appointment about two hours later so I bundled Khan in a blanket and Housemate kindly whisked us to the vet in his car.

Khan had this issue last year so I did not want to waste any time – the sooner it’s treated, the better. In 2011 he got a cut on his chin which became infected so I took him to the vet to get it cleaned and treated with antibiotic pills. This year, however, the vet opted to give him a long-lasting injection of antibiotics and put one of those plastic collars on his neck to prevent him from scratching the cut while it heals.

At first he did not seem to be happy about the new accessory and banged it against every wall and piece of furniture that he could. He quickly realized that it was there to stay and I like to think that he knows it’s for his own good.

I was worried that he’d be miserable for two days but after about two hours of sulking under Housemate’s bed he’s back to his normal, loveable, self. He’s not trying to remove the cone although he is licking the blood off of it. There’s not much for me to do except clean the cut, put his food dishes on top of bowl, and give him extra love.

These cuts are especially worrisome for diabetic cats as they are more prone to infection and the healing process can be slower.