The standard vet cone turns a recovering pet into a blinkered one. They clatter into doorframes, misjudge the stairs, cannot find the food bowl and end up more distressed by the collar than by the wound it is protecting. A clear shell fixes most of that at a stroke, because the animal can still see where they are going while the cone carries on doing the one job it is there for.

The shell is translucent plastic with padding around the neck edge, and it fastens with snap studs rather than the tabs and ties a determined cat can work loose in an afternoon. The soft PVC neck does not need threading onto your pet's own collar, so it goes on and comes off in seconds, which matters at mealtimes and at three in the morning when you are the one taking it off. Five sizes cover most dogs and the smallest cats.

• Translucent shell for a wide field of vision
• Padded edge where it sits against the neck
• Snap-stud closure, with no buckles or ties
• Soft PVC neck section, no collar needed to hold it
• Five sizes, from Small at 18 to 24cm neck to XX Large at 45 to 64cm
• Suitable for most dogs and for cats

On sizing: A cone has to extend past the nose to work at all, and if your pet can still reach the wound while wearing it, the next size up is the answer.

Who it's for: Dogs and cats recovering from surgery, stitches or a skin condition, and especially anxious animals who cope badly with an opaque cone.