Only sterilization will help reduce the number of homeless animals. If the cat's owner is not a breeder and does not plan to raise offspring, then it is also advisable to carry out this procedure. Typically, the veterinarian performs the operation in 40-60 minutes, and problems may arise after it. For quick healing, you will need to make your own blanket for the cat. It is sewn from any soft elastic fabric that gently envelops the body and prevents the pet from reaching the damaged area of the epithelium.
Features of sewing clothes for cats
One of the features of sewing clothes for cats is the choice of materials. Everything here is very individual, since this particular fabric and this particular style will suit each individual cat. And it’s not just about the breed, but also about the coloring of the pet’s coat, the size of the pet, and even the place it occupies in the owner’s heart.
Cat apron
In any case, special attention should be paid to natural materials. It is also possible to use fabrics with a small amount of synthetic fibers. The best option would be: cotton fabrics, linen, wool, viscose. They are pleasant not only for humans, but also for cats. You should also look at the characteristics of the material: how well it is made, whether it fades in the sun, or whether it deforms after washing.
Bow and dress
Also among the features is taking measurements of cats, which, naturally, differ from dogs, and even more so from humans. Taking measurements from animals is not so easy, since they constantly strive to break free.
McDonald's apron version
How to take measurements from a cat
The main measurements to take are:
- neck girth. This is the circumference of the neck at its thickest and widest point. This is usually its base. To ensure an even measurement, it is necessary to place the animal on a flat surface;
- back length. The measurement is taken from the base of the neck to the beginning (root) of the ponytail. A centimeter placed along the spine is best suited for this;
- sternum girth. This measurement is taken around the widest part of the chest - under the front legs.
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These measurements are enough for most products, but sometimes additional data is needed. For example, the distance between the paws.
Cat measurements
How to sew a post-operative blanket for a cat after sterilization
Blankets after sterilization are not always available for sale in veterinary pharmacies and other pet stores. If there is an urgent need for a post-operative bandage for a cat, then you can make it yourself. By looking at any pattern, you can make sure that there is nothing complicated in such a product, since it is a continuous piece of fabric with recesses for the paws and ropes for fixing it on the cat’s body.
DIY cat clothes without a pattern
Before making a blanket, you need to know the dimensions of the cat, which will be reflected in the diagram. Next, a pattern is made, on the basis of which a single piece is made from cotton fabric or flannel.
Important! It is recommended to use a light-colored fabric that immediately shows all dirt. This will help you consult a doctor in time if bleeding occurs due to a sudden divergence of the stitches.
Homemade blanket after sterilization surgery
Choosing fabric for blankets
The fabric must meet the following requirements:
- be soft and elastic, but not stretch too much;
- do not crumble or fall off in pellets, so as not to contaminate the wound, around which it is necessary to maintain sterility;
- be plain and preferably unpainted, so that dirt can be more easily seen.
Scheme of the blanket and options for its fastening
Velcro or ribbons - which is better?
The pros and cons of fasteners can be included in a separate section, since the process of their manufacture is always one of the most important. For some animals, Velcro is more suitable, and for others, ribbons are more suitable. This is based on the advantages and disadvantages of any type of fastening. Among the positive aspects of ribbons are:
- the ability to be made from the same fabric as the main part;
- ease of sewing;
- impossibility for the animal to untie them on its own.
An option for making a medium-sized blanket
. There are also disadvantages:
- the animal will cling to some objects in the room with them and play when the length is too long;
- you can overtighten the animal;
- Difficulty in untying if the knot is too tight.
Homemade blanket
Velcro also has its advantages and disadvantages. Among the advantages:
- ease of fixation;
- they are more compact compared to ribbons.
Flaws:
- their cost is higher;
- they quickly become dirty with wool;
- Easy to unfasten even for the most clumsy animal.
Blanket after surgery
Why is a blanket put on an animal after castration or sterilization surgery?
When castrating or sterilizing, a central or lateral incision is made on the animal’s abdomen, onto which, after the necessary manipulations, 3–5 stitches are applied. To avoid complications and to speed up wound healing, the operated cat is put on a postoperative blanket - this is a large fabric bandage equipped with several pairs of ties or Velcro that are fixed on the back. A blanket for a cat after sterilization is necessary for the following purposes:
- Protection against infection. Through a wound, pathogens can penetrate the skin and cause inflammation.
- Preventing animals from licking external agents used to treat sutures.
- Protection from scratching. Since the incision site is itchy, the cat can scratch it until it bleeds, and damaged skin is an open gate for infections.
- Preserving the integrity of the seams. Without a blanket, the animal can damage the threads holding the edges of the wound together, which will lead to the sutures coming apart.
- Preventing mechanical damage.
- Prevention of abdominal sagging due to weakening or stretching of the muscle walls.
Sewing blankets from improvised materials
Below we will describe how and from what you can make a blanket if you don’t have any suitable material or patterns at hand. You don't need any special cutting and sewing skills.
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Scheme of overalls for a cat
Pantyhose blanket
The simplest option, which requires virtually no resources. There is only one rule: you need to use clean tights, since the animal definitely needs sterility after surgery and sterilization. It is recommended to use thick tights that will fit the cat's body well.
Important! The blanket is made like this: a piece of trouser leg 20 cm long is cut off and pulled over the cat’s belly. Additionally, you can make holes for the paws.
New Year's suit for the British
Sock blankets without ties
The product is made from socks or stockings in the same way. Find the perfect size sock and cut off the front to create a fabric tube. The cat's body is inserted into it, fixing its stomach.
For your information! The most remarkable thing is that even if you don’t have the appropriate sizes at home, you can always buy clean and new socks at any clothing store for a few tens of rubles.
Cat blanket from a baby bodysuit
Blanket from old children's clothes
Old children's clothing in the form of jumpsuits and vests also works well. You should choose something that fits comfortably on your body and is fixed on it. If you don’t have anything like this at hand, then you can make a blanket from an ordinary sleeve of a children’s jacket that stretches well.
Fashionable outfit with a hood
Towel blankets
The most common option involves making it from a simple cotton towel. A cut of the required length is made, and holes for the paws are cut out, based on the anatomical features of the cat. Holes are cut in it for the neck, paws and sometimes the tail. The final stage involves creating a cylinder by sewing the ends of the towel together or sewing on strings.
If the cat is to be sterilized, then you need to buy a blanket
How much does a post-operative cat bandage cost, and how to tie it correctly?
Sequence of actions for tying a bandage:
- The blanket is carefully applied to the cat's stomach and chest when it is standing or lying on its side. The smaller part should be between the head and front paws, the larger part should be pressed to the abdomen.
- The first pair of ties are fixed on the neck.
- The left ribbon of the second pair is connected to the right third, the other two are tied in pairs so that a cross of ribbons is formed at the withers.
- The fourth and fifth pair are tied at the back.
- The remaining ribbons are wrapped around the animal’s hips (they run horizontally) and secured.
The blanket should fit snugly, but not squeeze the body, not restrict the movement of the paws, and not interfere with the cat's ability to go to the toilet. The ribbons must be firmly fixed, otherwise the pet will be able to untie them and free himself from the bandage. Some cats are very resourceful and are able to get rid of even a well-fixed blanket, so the animal should be supervised for the first days after surgery.
What else can you make for your pet?
In addition to blankets, decorative and warming things are often sewn for cats: tuxedos, skirts, light clothes for summer and thick ones for winter. Each requires the use of certain materials and entry-level sewing skills.
Cat skirt
The tuxedo
A stylish accessory that will highlight the elegance of a slender and long cat. This jacket is made according to a simple pattern, but it looks very beautiful, and most importantly, it does not hinder the movement of the animal. For production you will need:
- white fabric (old shirt);
- black fabric (any cut);
- some red cloth;
- Velcro for fixation;
- tailor's tools in the form of scissors, chalk, sewing machine or hand sewing accessories.
Costume for a British kitten
Airy skirt
If a tuxedo is more suitable for keeping warm, then a skirt is more suitable for going out. Usually these outfits are made for show animals, which appear before spectators and judges in original outfits. Skirts as clothing have become increasingly popular lately. The most important thing is that for manufacturing you will need a few materials and ordinary tools:
- a piece of tulle;
- satin ribbon;
- scissors, needle and thread.
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Important! This set is quite enough to make a beautiful skirt for a cat like a tutu without diagrams or patterns.
Pattern of a dress for a cat
Emergency heating
It happens that clothes for a pet are needed extremely urgently and there is not enough time to create patterns, transfer them to fabric and sewing. To quickly warm up, you can use a regular sock. For production you will need:
- one warm sock;
- scissors;
- chalk.
The idea is to make a vest out of a sock. It is very similar to a blanket, but does not require sterility. A tube is made from a sock with holes for the paws. After which it is put on the cat.
Warm sock
Summer minimalism
For the warm season there is no need for warm clothes, so things for summer are aimed at decorating the cat in a certain style. Such accessories can include ties, bow ties, hats and many others. So, to sew a bow tie you will need:
- collar;
- needle, thread and scissors;
- fabric for the butterfly.
When can I shoot?
How long you will have to wear the bandage depends on the type of suture treatment used by the operating veterinarian:
- treatment with a spray that protects the seam from contaminants;
- without spray treatment.
When using a spray, the possibility of inflammation is much lower. Provided that the pet feels well and there are no complications in the suture area, the maximum period of wearing the blanket is 7 days.
In the second case, surgeons recommend a time interval of 5–10 days for final removal. In order to be on the safe side, it is best to wait 10 days.
If the surgery was performed laparoscopically, the damage to the skin is so small that there is no need for the cat to walk in a blanket.
Dress for the sphinx
Using a simple pattern, you can make a beautiful dress for your hairless Sphynx cat. The most remarkable thing is that a dress of this kind can be made from just two pieces. First of all, the main part is made, and then the sundress, which is sewn to the base.
For your information! All this takes very little time, but looks very attractive. Do-it-yourself clothes for the sphinx, the patterns of which are presented in the picture below, can be made in a matter of hours.
Knitted suit on a Canadian cat
How to train a cat to wear clothes
Extra attributes are unusual for animals, even if they perform quite useful functions. If a cat rejects clothes, then at first you will have to do everything to get the pet used to it. There is one rule: it is necessary to accustom the animal to clothes from a very early age. This very quickly becomes a habit, and the outfit no longer causes rejection.
Important! If the cat is already an adult, then there is no need to be upset. It is worth putting things on it for just a couple of minutes a day, and then gradually increasing the time you spend in clothes. This will teach her not to be afraid of accessories.
DIY pattern and measurements for a Sphynx cat
Thus, patterning clothes for a cat is a simple process that does not require deep knowledge of sewing or the ability to handle highly specialized tools. Warm or decorative clothing for a pet can be made in a couple of hours, following precise step-by-step instructions.
How to tie?
First make sure that you have positioned the blanket correctly. The guide is the symmetrical cutouts for the front paws. The animal's head should be located slightly in front of them, and the cutouts themselves will be located in the area of the animal's front armpits.
A simple classic blanket has 14 laces for fastening, symmetrically located along its side edges. They will need to be tied on the cat's back. Considering that you will have to remove the bandage periodically, you should not make the knots too tight. But it is dangerous to tie the laces too loosely: the animal can untie them with its teeth and subsequently get rid of the bandage.
- You need to tie the blanket on the cat from the head. Take the two very first laces from the front and connect them at the animal's neck.
- The next two pairs of ribbons must be tied crosswise in the area of the cat's shoulder blades, that is, the left tie from the second pair is connected to the right tie from the third pair, the right ribbon from the second pair is connected to the ribbon from the third pair of ties, located on the right side. This way you should get a crosshair made of laces, which will be located above the withers.
- The following ribbons are tied in pairs on the back.
- The last two pairs of ties are fixed crosswise on the back of the cat's body.
It is important to ensure that the postoperative bandage does not cover the animal’s excretory openings: the anus and urinary tract. Otherwise, due to the inconvenience, the pet will actively try to remove the blanket. And you will have to face the fact that the bandage will soon be dirty.
The bandage should not squeeze the cat's body tightly. If you notice that the animal is moving stiffly, loosen the lacing.
It is best to have a second blanket in reserve.
Your pet may tear its post-op bandage with its teeth or become very dirty, in which case you will need to replace it.
If the surgical suture is small, then to treat it it is not necessary to remove the entire bandage - free only the part of the body where the wound is located. This way you will save time and effort in the process of tying and fixing the bandage.
Do not leave long ends of laces. A cat can easily pull them with his teeth, loosen them, or untie the knot.
It is allowed to remove the blanket for 15–20 minutes 2–3 times a day, especially if the animal does not get used to it well. But the cat should be under your strict supervision at this time. When trying to lick wounds and stitches, you should immediately gently prevent this: distract the animal with play or pet it.
To learn how to put a blanket on a cat and tie it correctly, watch the following video.
Sterilization is a complex operation for both the cat and its owners. A caring owner will always try to reduce stress for the animal. This is especially important in the first days of the postoperative period. Many problems after surgery can be dealt with using a cat blanket.
