Cone Head

I need your advice. Actually, my friend, Dale, needs your advice. She has a wonderful Tonkinese cat. He's intelligent, affectionate, sensitive and, for the past few months, has had to wear one of those cones around his neck. Why? Because he's licks himself to the point where the wound becomes infected. Each time Dale removes the cone, he immediately begins licking the area again.

The cone (which is actually called an Elizabethan collar) makes the poor guy look pathetic, and I'm sure he feels humiliated and uncomfortable, but Dale has run out of options. The only thing she hasn't done is put the cat on drugs, but perhaps that would improve his quality of life.

Any thoughts?

Photo from Ilmari Karonen/Gallery