Elizabethan collars

An Elizabethan collar is a cone-shaped protective device placed around an animal's neck to prevent it from licking or biting wounds, surgical sites, or skin irritations.

Named for its resemblance to the stiff ruffs worn in Elizabethan England, the collar extends past the animal's snout.

Veterinarians prescribe them after surgeries; pet owners often call them cones of shame: The cat spent two weeks in an Elizabethan collar after being spayed.