You can take the collar off for them to eat and drink, but as Jack says, they do learn how to eat with it on. I always make them wear them for at least 3-4 days, just to give the insides time to congeal. IT is important that they don't do too much to it in the first couple of days, or they will have to go back. One of ours pulled her stitches out within 24 hours, so had to go back, they put staples in then, so the rescue put a cone on her (they dont normally), took it off Fri morning so she could eat, she only turned round to clean it and she had the staples out too, so is now glued with staples!! They do fuss when it first goes on, but they do quickly adapt.