I think Arthur is just deeply confused, right now.

[wnylib]

6. It is heartbreaking for us when we do

things for our fur babies that they don't understand. We feel for their confusion and worry that it will disrupt our good relationship with them.

Reassuring words and, if you can get close enough, gentle scritches on his head might be reassuring to both of you. He won't understand the words, but will understand the tone.

I went through the cone issue with a cat that I had several years ago. He had developed patches of hair loss after nibbling some household plants (which I then got rid of). The vet prescribed a cream and sent us home with the cream and the cone, which was not see through back then.

Poor Alex (the cat) struggled hard to get out of the cone. He succeeded once and was depressed when I put it back on him. He moped and sulked and I felt like an awful meanie, even though it was best for him.

But the results were good and when the cone came off, he held no hard feelings toward me. In fact, from then on, whenever he had a medical issue, he allowed only me (and not my husband) to give him a pill, cream, etc. He seemed to "get it" in seeing the cause/effect relationship between treatment and feeling better.

Fortunately, he didn't have many health issues. Vomited as a kitten after he ate a stick of butter. Lost hair after nibbling on house plants. Had autumn allergies that required a shot in the fall.