[jambo101]

Had my cat into the vet to address a small cut on his chest, after shaving the area and applying some medication the vet put a cone collar on him, he really didnt like it and i felt sorry for him on the drive home all night we heard him falling off chairs or bashing into things, finally i got up and removed that collar. i vow never to let my cat be burdened with one of those cruel devices again.

[Dogboa]

One of our pugs thinks her Elizabethan collar is a fashion accessory when she has to wear it. She also learned to lift her leg to pee and dig dirt after pooping from our male. He is 6 months younger.

[CrowGirl]

I certainly understand that it is hard to watch a pet struggle with an E collar but I don't think it's fair to characterize them as "cruel devices". Unfortunately we can't explain to our pets that they shouldn't lick or chew an incision or similar affected area so sometimes an E collar is better than the alternative. In your car if it was a small cut it may have been overkill - hard to say not knowing more. But where a pet is recovering from surgery or more major trauma an E collar can literally save it's life. I know of multiple occasions where pets have died after chewing open an incision. When your pet needs to wear one you can isolate him or her to a room where your pet can't jump up and hurt itself - they can be a hazard if unmanaged. But they aren't "cruel devices" in general - they serve a purpose.