“It brings out her inner kitten.”
Most pets cannot wait to get rid of the plastic cone they are given after surgery. For Taylor, a cat living with her family in Iceland, the experience turned out very differently.
When Taylor was spayed as a kitten, she wore a protective cone for a few days while she recovered. Once she had healed, her family expected the cone to disappear for good.
Taylor had other plans.
She Refused to Give Up the Cone
After her recovery, Taylor’s mom tried to put the cone away.
But Taylor kept searching for it and would even put her head back inside it on her own.
Realizing how much she seemed to enjoy wearing it, her family eventually decided to let her keep it.
That decision was made 13 years ago, and Taylor’s unusual attachment to the cone has continued ever since.
Cone Time Became Part of Her Daily Routine
Taylor still puts the cone on every day, although she does not wear it constantly.
Instead, it has become something she enjoys during playtime.
Her mom says Taylor simply slips her head into the cone whenever she feels like having what the family calls “cone time.”
For Taylor, wearing it appears to signal that it is time to run around, play and act like a kitten again.
Her Favorite Accessory Brings Out Her Playful Side
The cone has become much more than an old piece of veterinary equipment.
It is now Taylor’s favorite possession.
When she puts it on, her family notices a change in her behavior. She becomes playful, energetic and silly.
Once she takes it off, she seems ready to relax again.
Her mom has said the cone appears to bring out Taylor’s “inner kitten,” even after more than a decade.
Her Family Protects the Cone Carefully
Because Taylor loves it so much, her family makes sure the cone never goes missing.
Her mom has even joked that she protects it more carefully than many of her own belongings because of how much happiness it brings Taylor.
After 13 years, the cone has become an important part of the cat’s life and routine.
Nobody Quite Knows Why She Loves It
Taylor’s family does not have a clear explanation for why she became so attached to something most animals dislike.
Perhaps she associates it with comfort, attention or the playful days of kittenhood.
Whatever the reason, they have never tried to take that joy away from her.
An Unusual Tradition That Still Makes Her Happy
What began as a temporary recovery tool has become one of Taylor’s longest-running traditions.
Her family may never fully understand why wearing a plastic cone makes her so happy, but after watching her enjoy it for more than a decade, they have learned that understanding the reason is not really necessary.
For Taylor, a little cone time is simply one of life’s greatest pleasures.