Our dog had brought home a stray kitten. This kitten was very friendly & looked in need of help. She had raw spots all over her head. Upon close examination I saw that she had fleas. I knew two things. 1: I had to get rid of the fleas and 2: I had to keep her from scratching her head until the sores healed.

I dusted her with Diatomaceous Earth for the fleas. Now how was I going to keep her from scratching? If I had an Elizabethan collar that would work. But alas, I’m 15 miles to the nearest vet or pet supply store. So like any self-respecting home-insteader I made my own!

Here’s how you can make you own Elizabethan Collar:

Take a paper plate (Chinette works pretty good) and cut a hole just big enough to slip over the cats head. This will last a day or two. I just made up a few ahead of time & keep replacing them as needed. I also recycled some of those large mailing envelopes like the USPS & FedX use. Any paperboard like cereal boxes will work. Just cut them to the size of a paper plate & cut the hole in the middle.

This size worked well for my kitten. You may have to adjust the dimensions so that the animal can eat & drink water. For larger animals you’ll need to use your imagination. Try an ice cream bucket for instance.

Do it yourself pet care

Sometimes you just have to take pet care to a simpler level. Oh, and by the way, the cat I was looking for that night? I found her already comfortably snoozing on our bed.

©2008 Susan Hoke