All of my cats behavioral issues disappear when he’s wearing a sweater.

My 1.5-year-old cat has developed some anxiety and behavioral issues, like excessive meowing, pawing at things, and being aggressive toward his sister. We've tried a bunch of things to help, including positive reinforcement, redirection, extra playtime, new toys (and different types of toys), cycling toys, and even diet changes. But the only thing that really helps is putting him in a sweater.

As soon as we put the sweater on him, he becomes calm, hops into my lap, and starts licking me until it gets a little painful. I’ve read that clothing can sometimes "paralyze" cats, but he still eats, moves around, and jumps onto things. He doesn’t seem distressed—just calm and content.

I’m wondering if using the sweater is ethical. I don’t want to make him feel restricted, but it definitely seems to reduce his anxiety. He doesn’t like it when I put it on, but once it’s on, he doesn’t seem to mind at all.

For context, he also had emergency abdominal surgery recently (due to a GI blockage) and had to wear a surgery suit, which he didn’t like. However, the surgery suit was much more restrictive than the sweater, which only covers part of his back. I’m not sure if this is relevant, but I wanted to mention it.

Any thoughts or advice?