Kitty Spayed - E-collar?

I just got my 6 month old kittie spayed yesterday. She's on pain killer and antibiotics. She's doing great..... She has stitches on her belly that needs to be removed in 2 weeks. is it ok to put a bandage over the incision area where the stitches are from keeping her from licking it or removing the stitches? I refuse to put an e-collar on her.......

[Thomas Dock, CVJ, Vet. Technician]

Congratulations on your new kitten...I sure hope she is doing well for you at home.

I would avoid putting anything over the incision area as it will likely attract her attention even more.  In most instances, cats will not bother their incision site, but since not all cats read the same book, you should still monitor her incision site daily to make sure she is not chewing or licking it excessively.  Also, excessive activity (running outside, etc) can lead to problems with the incision site as well.  It is important to try and keep her quiet over the next week or so.

I understand your reluctance to use an elizabethan collar and hopefully you won't need to, but please understand that if she starts bothering the incision site, you may find that an e-collar is the only way to keep her from causing more serious issues.