Bless you and all the other vets who are doing this for the cats and their people. Just one question about the ear tipping - can the decision be made on a case by case basis? Surely the benefits for the truly feral cats must be considered. It could mean the difference between life and death. For those who are good candidates for adoption, no ear tipping. Is there a way to do what's best for the cat?

dottie March 5th, 2009 03:14:32 AM

There is more than one way to ear tip, you know :)

My Zora was adopted as an adult stray, and yes, here ear is tipped- but her tip is smaller that what you show. The downside of course is that the tipping is less noticable- but if you look for it, it's there.

Xslf March 5th, 2009 03:15:27 AM

Xslf: Send me the pic and I'll post it for you.

Dottie: Not in this case. For this upcoming spay and neuter day on March 22nd, all cat's ears will be tipped.

As to what I do in my private practice low-cost feline spays and neuters (I do a handful a week): I tip all ferals. If it's clear the animal will never be placed due to behavior concerns (and I can usually tell the difference between a feral and an angry cat), I tip their ears. I only tip the ears of sweet strays if the person bringing in the cat (who understands their circumstances better than I do) requests it. 

Dr. Patty Khuly March 5th, 2009 04:12:59 AM

Dr Khuly- the pic can be downloaded from here: http://picasaweb.google.com/shosh.forbes/cats#5281165354921636914

thanks!

Xslf March 5th, 2009 04:20:18 AM

Here's Zora:

Dr. Patty Khuly March 5th, 2009 04:38:06 AM

I'm really not that big on this tipping thing. I mean come on. How bout baning like they do to track wild game, bird, and such.

Evet March 5th, 2009 05:21:56 AM

Sorry I meant Banding

Evet March 5th, 2009 05:22:43 AM

Re: banding.. If you're talking about putting one in the ear, I suspect that most of my cats would have quickly scratched them out, possibly resulting in more trauma and pain than the ear tip would have. (I can only imagine what having an earring forcibly ripped out while conscious must feel like.. ow.) Cat ears are pretty flimsy. I'm guessing it's not feasible.

Ramen Connoisseur March 5th, 2009 05:41:48 AM

Zoras tipping is more subtle, less dramatic . . more unremarkable then the two lead in photo's starting this piece.

In those cases someone might say . . ohhhhhhh, what happened to poor little his ear?

Evet March 5th, 2009 05:45:09 AM

Ramen I meant a wrap around band not a piercing I should have used more clarity.

Evet March 5th, 2009 05:46:42 AM

How bout a collar with an elastic to allow for growth rather then "mutilation" of one the felines most beautiful features?

(Arrrrgh heading to the fallout shelter on that choice of wording lol)

Patty might bang me over the head with a frying pan for that.

Evet March 5th, 2009 05:53:54 AM

Since ear-tipping is code for "feral," won't tipping cats who are not ferals put them at a severe disadvantage for adoption?  I mean not based on aesthetics, but based on knowledge of the meaning of the thing?

I have two free-roaming "barn cats."* My property is large enough that I don't think their range goes beyond my ownership, but they might possibly cross the line occasionally.  If one got picked up and was determined to be neutered, not ear-tipped, he'd be more likely to be treated like what he is -- a misplaced owned cat.  If ear-tipped, he's automatically defined as ownerless.

I know this blog discussed an ear tattoo as an alternative.  Sure, not visible at a distance, but could still save a misplaced queen from a second anesthesia and surgical incision.

I would hope that the difference between an entire tomcat and a castrato would be apparent to a veterinarian at close range before the steel comes out.

* "Barn cats" in scare quotes.  I acquired them as barn cats.  They have invited themselves into the house, and seem to have devised a very comfortable lifestyle that encompasses the house, barn, fields, human laps.  I still feed them in the barn.  But they are much more engaged members of the homestead than my 18 year-old senile apartment-raised house cat, who pretty much keeps to himself in the furnace room these days.

H. Houlahan March 5th, 2009 05:54:31 AM

A collar on a feral cat would be a safety hazard I think - unless (as Evet suggested) it's elastic or breakaway in which case I'll bet it would be removed by the cat in short order.  Plus... have you ever put a collar on an adult cat who has never worn one?  They usually freak out -  I'll bet they wouldn't be too happy with a leg band either.  Anything other than a hard plastic or metal band would be chewed off, and a hard band could cause irritation.  The risk of injury due to rubbing etc. would be too high.   Leg bands on birds are really loose for that reason.  I think it would in the long run be much more distressing to the cat than the ear tip.  The ear tipping, in fact, is not distressing to the CAT at all.

I like Dr. Patty's take on it - ear tip the definite ferals, but take it case-by-case with tame cats.  But for a free clinic I don't think it's unreasonable - not only do the vets there have every right to set any rules they see fit, but they won't have the luxury of time to debate things like ear tipping on a case-by-case basis.

At the risk of starting a flame war - and I am NOT being snotty, I'm just curious - why do so many people  get distressed with the "mutilation" of something as necessary as ear tipping but those same people don't bat an eye at the - completely necessary I'll admit - much greater and more painful mutilation of removing sexual organs??  Makes ya think...

Barb March 5th, 2009 06:36:29 AM

Hmm.  I wonder if this is a factor in Operation Catnip's policies.  They do free S/N,vaccinating (eartipping included) of stray/feral cats, but only if they are not and will not ever be pets.  They have a monthly one-day clinic where they do 200+ or 300+ cats at UF.

I thought they only had funding to do ferals, which may still be the case; I just wonder if this is a concern for them too.

Galadriel March 5th, 2009 07:18:31 AM

My brother adopted a dog through a rescue that was tattooed with a "female" sign, only the line went through the circle as well. The tattoo is about 1/4 of an inch and is in the naked area of her underside. As the vets for the rescue did not understand this symbol she was opened up again before realizing she was already spayed. Ear tipping is at least universally understood by vets as perviously sputered.

spazzy March 5th, 2009 08:01:46 AM

My vet takes a v notch out of the side of the ear. and when the hair grows back it is not as noticablet as the whole top of the ear gone..It is visible to the feral owners of colonies.. do the v notch instead of the top of the whole ear. the cat still has the top of both ears and is cosmeticaly pleasing.

kim heff March 5th, 2009 11:28:30 AM

No good deed goes unpunished. No matter what you do, there is always going to be someone who will complain or object. I have done low cost feral programs through my clinic as well as part of a Petsmart grant our local humane society obtained. My "compassion and professionalism" was called into question regarding specifially ear cropping in a nasty letter I received. I take a generous cut (1/4 off) with the laser so it will be clear they have been speutered from both near and far. A small notch can be confused with a fight wound on a big tomcat.

Hobson March 5th, 2009 12:34:15 PM

Yeah, I get nasty comments sometimes like, "next time please don't take off half her ear." 

If the point is to tip an ear so it's visibly identifiable as the universal symbol for 'sterilized' then I'd be stupid not to make it obvious.

Always drives me crazy, these peeps who want veterinarians for nothin' then complain about our style and ethics. 

Dr. Patty Khuly March 5th, 2009 12:57:46 PM

Our spay/neuter clinic does the female symbol tattoo on the female dogs. They aren't seen, though, until the dog is shaved.

I really don't see why people who go to shelters to adopt a cat would get all bent out of shape over a tipped ear. I mean, rescue cats often aren't perfect. Is a ripped ear from a cat fight more conversation worthy than a tipped ear?

And why are tipped ears after a spay/neuter so bad but docked tails and cropped ears considered good things?

The more I know about people, the more I prefer my dogs!

PaulaO March 5th, 2009 02:01:08 PM

"But I’m not so sure that’s right. My argument: If the cats are clearly owned and loved, I wouldn’t want to affect the cat’s relationship with his owner, no matter how low-income they may be, no matter how 'silly' I believe the requirement for aesthetic perfection to be. After all, consider how you would feel if you couldn’t afford a spay and had to 'buy' your cat an ear tip in the bargain. "

I agree with this wholeheartedly. It's not terribly difficult to separate feral cats from sweet, loved kitties in most cases. The basic rule, as I see it is:  feral cats? Ear tip! Friendly and adoptable? No way!

Also, more vets need to look at the standard WAY cats are ear tipped and the WHERE. In the past few months, I've seen cats tipped on  the wrong ear and even both ears including one with some sort of weird, notched tipping. Seriously, guys, look up ear tipping BEFORE you come into the situation of working with feral cats or strays and do it the way everyone else does. It's only effective if it actually MEANS something and it doesn't mean anything if every vet just does what they want to mean whatever random thing they think it should.

Okay, rant totally over. Sorry about that! I know most people get it right, so it isn't fair to judge everyone based on a few people who do things strangely.

Tara M March 5th, 2009 02:01:23 PM

Thank you, Dr. K: It was on THIS blog that I first learned about TNR abbreviation and the ear-tip thing! Kim, I'm glad you added the "notch" option, I have seen both in the past, and dummy me, thought it was a fight or accident. Never asked anyone.

I don't see it as any different than a tail dock and there are much better reasons for the tip. As long as it doesn't create pain or a messy wound, I don't see it as a bad thing. This is the "least" of a feral cat's worries or potential demise.

Barb A./NH

Pocket's Story from NH March 5th, 2009 02:21:02 PM

Actually Zora's subtle style shoudn't be difficult to distinguish.  If left ear is standard, animal control, rescue groups what have you wouldn't have to much trouble identifying that subtle "snip" with orientation-training.

The people we are trying to protect these animals from may be more inclined to misinterpret a less subtle dramtic clip as wounded, a fighter, sickness, or something to harrass and throw rocks at in the case of strays and ferrals.

The whole concept here is visiual identification-interpretation. What about a permanent dye-marking on the fur. If such thing even exists.

Evet March 5th, 2009 03:21:48 PM

Or a small color coded tattoo on the ear if it's possible to do so very quickly and efficiently?

Heck that would even be hip since practically everyone these days  has a tattoo.

Speaking of it. Dr. Khuly do thou hath a Tattoo?  (Grin . . Details Please)

Evet March 5th, 2009 03:34:27 PM

Tara, determining which kitties are possibly adoptable isn't that easy.  Just from my experience, I have 3 cats out of a colony of 5 that were wild, unhandleable, fought viciously (one of them was dubbed Hellkitten) who each decided that they wanted to make friends.  We put no effort into taming them;--we were happy to have feral cats around for rodent control, but not pets so allergic hubby wouldn't be tempted to play with them.  One *may* have been domesticated once, then dumped (was momma of the other 4) but I know no one has done anything with the rest (they were kittens when found)--yet two of the former kittens and the mama now come calling for attention when they see us. 

If "our" cats can get this far without any attempt to tame them, then I'm sure lots of presumably non-sweet non-lovable cats can become so.

If we *could* take them in and finish up taming them--and if we hadn't signed an agreement with Operation Catnip that these kitties would never be housepets--then we might try to bring these in and make them into adoptable pets.  Sadly, husband is insanely allergic to cats, so they stay out where coyotes or cars might get them. 

We laugh at these guys when they come running into the barn meyowling for attention.  "Don't you know you're feral?  You don't want attention!"  "Do you see this scar you gave me?  You don't LIKE people!"  No, no... separating out the adoptables is just not that easy.

Galadriel March 5th, 2009 05:05:54 PM

I thought they only had funding to do ferals, which may still be the case; I just wonder if this is a concern for them too.

I just found out that the big shelter organization here used to do low-cost spays for anyone who had evidence of an unwanted litter (i.e. they were relinquishing a puppy or a litter of kittens or something). They had to shut it down because the state's veterinary practice act says that, in order to practice on owned animals, a vet clinic must be owned by a veterinarian. Since the shelter system's vet isn't the owner of the shelter, they were in violation of the act and thus weren't allowed to continue offering low-cost spays. It's a bummer since they were about the only ones in the state offering low-cost options.

Megan March 5th, 2009 07:02:19 PM

One of my guys came from a home where 40+ cats were living (more outdoors than indoors).  He initially didn't make the cut for adoption, so he was TNR with his ear tipped, but he was relocated to a colony where he wasn't accepted and the person looking after the colony thought he was friendly enough to take a chance on him.  I can't say I've given his ear tip a moment's thought.  He's not quite the lap cat that my previous cats were, but he's a good guy.  I always have the challenges of his history in mind, but I think if I were the sort to have an issue with the aesthetics of his ear I probably wasn't the one to have him to begin with.  (His is somewhere in between the illustrations and Zora's.)

Kelly March 5th, 2009 08:04:27 PM

We took in a semi-feral tortie with a notched ear. We were hoping this meant something, but.. not so much. (Six weeks later.. four boys, one girl.) I would be concerned about notching because it's too easy for this to happen naturally, especially in a colony situation. The tip may not be cosmetically appealing, but I think it's probably the most feasible option. In the case of a tattoo, I think it would be too difficult to see, and would require that the cat be trapped in order to determine whether or not they were tattooed. In the case of longer-haired cats, dark cats, or those with prominent tufts in their ear, anesthesia might be necessary in order to get a good look in the ears. You would not have been able to get anywhere near most of the cats we trapped while they were conscious without risking very serious injuries. Ear-tipping is really the only permanent, blatantly visible-at-a-distance means of identification that says "I'm fixed and being cared for."

I can understand why it is done, but I do not like the idea of signing an agreement that the cat will never be a house pet. Sometimes, even without direct attempts to tame, these guys will come around with prolonged human exposure (especially after altering, and if the cat is a reverted feral). It seems unfortunate to have to sign away any options that might arise later. I think there is a world of difference between sneaking in an owned or adoptable cat and having a legitimately feral (or, at the very least, unadoptably skittish, aggressive, or otherwise unsociable) cat fixed only to have it become sociable later. I don't see who really loses out if somebody wants to take that cat in.

We did not tip ours because (for those who did not require euthanasia for medical reasons) the colony was in a very unsafe area, and we elected to socialize. Now, all the relatives' houses are full, so those pawprints I've been seeing in the carport? If they happen to belong to an unfriendly intact feline, somebody is getting the snip and the tip. Sorry, kitty.

Ramen Connoisseur March 5th, 2009 08:21:08 PM

Megan: That's the protectionist kind of BS I think we need to do away with in our profession. Some vets are always getting up in arms about the shelters taking away their business. They fear that if others offer low-cost options they'll be taking away their business. Therefore the animosity against shelters. Thankfully, this attitude is dying. Unfortunately, though, there still exist plenty of regs that limit practices to ownership by veterinarians alone. Again, that's BS. I'll be writing about it today.

Dr. Patty Khuly March 6th, 2009 02:55:24 AM

Since ear tipping seems to have become the standard, it's probably here to stay.  What are the other options besides tatoos?  (Personally, the ear tip wouldn't stop me from adopting but I do think I'd prefer a tatoo.)  What's the cheapist chip or could one be developed that just means "spayed/neutered"?

And a HUGE thanks to all Vets who do low/no cost spay/neuters and other volunteer care for animals!!!

PJBoosinger March 6th, 2009 09:36:30 AM

I strongly believe in the eartip. Cats that have been tipped, then turned out to be friendly and adoptable have been billed as sporting a "badge of courage" and most adopters don't seem to mind. That said, I have seen some frighteningly severe eartips by vets who just weren't familiar with the process. With the many vets I've worked with, I have only one who is willing to take my feelings into the matter in all cases. If I say I need a larger tip for a huge farm with 60 cats where we need to be able to scan the fields for tipped cats, she'll do a larger tip. If I ask for smaller tips because people in the area might be alarmed by  more severe tips, and we don't need to really see the tip unless the cat shows up in a trap, she'll do a small tip. Every other vet I've encountered nicely but firmly tell me they'll do tips "their way" despite landowner wishes.  Some vets absolutely insist on doing tips on only one side, when we need females done on one side and males done on the other (for long-term survival monitoring). Some vets refuse to do a smaller tip (or larger tip).  One vet was absolutely against tipping, and when he was the vet on staff at a low-cost clinic and was required to do so, rebelled by cutting off the entire top third of the ear with surgical sissors--even on kittens who did not require tipping--resulting in "tips" that looked like huge bite wounds. He was overheard to say "If they want tips, I'll give them tips." When I went to pick up three kittens I had sent to the clinic I was absolutely sickened. One of the kittens had already been spoken for, and I can't begin to tell you how hard it was to explain the "tip" to the adopter. She was shocked and confused. 

I've seen an article in a newspaper with a headline about how some evil was abroad in a town because cats were showing up with "the tops of their ears cut off" and how "It had to be an organized cult, as the ears were cut off with surgical precision."  I wish I'd saved that article! I did email the newpaper and explain there was likely a spay/neuter project taking place in their town.

Professionally done eartips should take the needs of the client into consideration. (Apologies in advance for any typos. My computers appears not to like the comment screen and I can't see half of what I'm typing).

Susan March 7th, 2009 04:38:34 AM

I should add, in my comment above, that while many vets  I've encountered have had strong preferences about their own personal eartip choices, in almost all cases, it was because they felt their preference  (large tip, small tip, left tip, right tip, etc.) benefited the well-being of the cat or feral cats as a whole. I might disagree with their choice, but they had good reasons they gave for making that choice.

Susan March 7th, 2009 04:51:02 AM

Susan has made the most educated and best informed comment on ear tipping as she's experienced in monitoring feral, stray and abandoned outside cats. Most everyone else speaks or asks questions subjectively. I used to hate ear tipping adoptable cats/kittens HOWEVER, in 10+ years of rescuing companion animals and especially NOW in today's recession more and more house pets are being left behind and thrown on the streets. Even an adopted cat/kitten who's sterilized and social isn't guaranteed it will NEVER end up alone in the streets. For this reason alone ear tipping all unowned felines whether destined for adopters or not makes sense. Often public animal shelter workers will not euthanize ear tipped cats and allow colony caretakers to retrieve them if mistakenly brought in by someone to be put down. Many, many, many residents of Miami-Dade county rent traps from the public shelter and bring in what they claim are "feral" cats whether feral or not and they're immediately put down. Many otherwise tame cats when trapped and put in an unfriendly environment become defensively aggressive. Ear tips used to guarantee their survival; that is no longer the case in Miami's shelter but it is with many others in the country. Also, I challenge any of you who reside in Miami-Dade county, FL to go to www.thecatnetwork.org to educate yourselves regarding TNR and a local, all volunteer organization that exists to help people help strays in their neighborhoods. All of you who care to this degree can make huge differences in outside cats' lives both individually where you live and work, and collectively by educating others. When I saw Dr. Khuly write that she performs several low cost sterilizations weekly I've not looked her up on the participating vet list but I'm willing to bet she may be a participating vet. Whether she is or not I appreciate from the bottom of my heart her commitment, dedication, professionalism and ADVOCACY FOR COMPANION ANIMALS she makes public weekly, daily and monthly in various public arenas. And of course her participation in low cost sterilization - it is SO badly needed in today's economy for the animals' sakes. As for ear tips: I'm converted much as I still dislike them aesthetically. I must receive 5 calls a week about a cat left behind by a family that lost their home or moved that's now living abandoned on the street.

Lee March 7th, 2009 07:35:26 AM

Hey - apologies - this is my first visit to Dr. Khuly's blogsite after reading her column in today's Miami Herald newspaper in FL. I then began reading the other blog articles she has and realize many of you are located elsewhere and ARE very involved and educated re: animal rescue. I should have limited my comment to supporting ear tipping if ONLY because there are no guarantees in life: an owned pet can wind up homeless and an ear tip will at least identify them as sterilized. Thank you for understanding and overlooking my eagerness to contribute.

Lee March 7th, 2009 08:02:55 AM

I adopted my MALE dog (about 6 mo old) from my local animal shelter. They have an agreement with several local vets for speutering and luckily mine was on the list. When I picked him up yesterday I was SHOCKED and SURPRISED that the vet I have been taking my other dog to for years would do something like this without even telling me first... They tatooed him with the "male" symbol with a line going through it! It's a little bit bigger than a quarter and looks awful. I WISH they would have told me beforehand. I can understand tatooing a female dog, but a male, come on, it's pretty obvious that he's been neutered. What is the rationale for doing this to a male dog?

Brandie March 7th, 2009 07:44:02 PM

Sorry, I hate it. I hate mutulation of an animal no matter how "good" the reason seems to be. My other personal objection is that many TNR groups simply TNR...no one bothers to see if the cat is friendly.

I have a cat now that simply begged to come home with my son one night when he got out of work. Her ear was tipped and she is spayed, but she sure isn't feral. Not even a little bit. He brought her home on his bike in his coat. I hate the way it looks.

LorriM March 8th, 2009 01:47:05 AM

LorrM, In a perfect world where everyone practiced resposible pet ownership there would be no need for ear tipping. We don't have that luxury. Ear tipping helps avoid unneccesary trapping, anesthesia, surgery, stress, volunteer time and expense, it is a small price to pay.

Hobson March 8th, 2009 04:52:22 AM

Yes, Lee, Sunset Animal Clinic is on the list. In fact, one of my colleagues at my hospital does so many he always gets awards from Cat Network at the end of the year. Me? I'll do as many males as you want to bring me but only do females for my regular cat-trapping clients (they're harder to fit into my busy schedule). So bring 'em on. 

Dr. Patty Khuly March 8th, 2009 05:55:38 AM

My dog (adopted from a rescue) has her spay incision tattooed, rather than a female symbol.  I think it's much more useful: it communicates "this dog was cut open for a spay" rather than "this dog is female".  

I also think it looks HILARIOUS when she is flopping around on her back displaying her "prison tat", but that's probably just me.

Laura March 8th, 2009 07:31:50 AM

My wife spays and neuters a lot of ferals. The loose organization of folks who trap and bring them in pre-determine which will be turned into house pets and which are headed back to the cat colony. Usually, it's only the kittens that can become pets, and a lot of the kittens are already vicious, nasty, wild animals at just a few weeks of age. My wife has gassed and cut open ferals only to find out they had already been spayed or are neutered males. Some have been ear-tipped so inconspicuously that no-one noticed, others not tipped at all -- by other veterinarians in the area. She had one person track her down and berate her for tipping the ear (mutilating) of a cat she'd just adopted. Her hospital does this for the cost of supplies, and then usually doesn't get paid anyway. Nothing like spaying and neutering hundreds, maybe thousands of cats by now for charity and having some moron berate you for doing the standard operating procedure. If you feel strongly about ear tipping, please find a cat colony group in your area. Bite your tongue about your tipping beliefs and trap and transport cats for as long as you can stand it (bet you don't last a week). Get some idea of how much money the group has to play with & how many cats are in the pipeline. Then figure out a cost effective "solution" to the ear tipping "problem." Keep in mind that it has to be as inexpensive as ear tipping, which is free, and as effective as ear tipping (which is 100% done properly), and as easy and safe as ear tipping. Your solution has to be visible without handling the cat in any way. If you come up with an actual solution, rather than just griping about ear tipping, I'm sure the veterinary and feral cat world will embrace it. If you really want to feel like it does to take already spayed cats to the vet, take the ear tipped cats that you trap on your volunteer mission in your car for an hour long car ride to simulate a trip to a veterinarian who will actually deal with them. Take the ferals out of their carriers, then put them back, try not to get bit. Burn $50 in cash for each cat to simulate the waste of money. Then drive them back to the colony and release them, again, try not to get bit. Then see your doctor for a run of antibiotics because cat bites always get infected. I'm sure you will either find a "solution" or change your mind about ear tipping.

Todd Chrisman March 10th, 2009 06:05:41 AM

Well said, Todd.

Hobson March 10th, 2009 10:19:52 AM

Couldn't agree with you more Todd.

Just been working in a wild spey / neuter place where 5 cats were opened up in one week as they had no indications (ear crop or tattoo) they had been desexed. Tattoos often wear off long term. Not that ear cropping is perfect, but if anyone can think of a better way, bearing in mind many of these animals need to be identified by sight, bring it on.

Circe March 13th, 2009 06:27:38 PM

I recently trapped a semi-feral stray and brought him in to be neutered. I requested verbally and in writing that they not tip the ear. I wanted a collar put on him instead, since the cat was becoming tame and I planned to make a pet out of him. The vet who did the surgery ignored my request and tipped the ear anyway.

If the cat had been part of a colony of ferals, I'd be all for ear tipping. But in this case, it was simply unecessary.  He looks awful now, like he's from the "budget bin". Veterinarians don't think the aesthetic issue is important, but they are ignoring the psychological impact of beauty, symmetry and wholeness. That cute little face is a major reason why we fall in love with them in the first place.  I honestly wonder if strangers will treat him with the same compassion as other cats, since he looks ugly now.

I agree with the author of the article that well-meaning people with low incomes should not be forced to "buy" an ear tip - especially if we plan to make pets of them!

Surely the answer is to simply tip colony ferals, and leave potential pets intact. Moreover, the ear tipping decision should be made with more care and not just done routinely on every cat that arrives in a trap.

Laurel March 18th, 2009 07:30:10 PM

I love my cats for who they are... not what they look like.  

As for the tattooed male dog:  Keep in mind that not everyone's balls drop propperly.  I volunteer at the local spay/neuter clinic...  There was a cat who's balls had not decended...  the vet cut him open like for a spay...  and spent about 10 minutes digging around in his abdominal cavity trying to find his undeciended testicals.  The cat ended up sliced open in an incision that was 3-4 times as long as the spay incisions, and she STILL couldn't find his testicals.  She found a few things that 'may' have been under developed testes, or may have been something else entierly.  She eventually closed him up inconclusively and had to keep him overnight to make sure that he was 'okay' after being sliced wide open and stapled shut.  

This cat may have been neuterd before, or maybe his testicals didn't develop properly, or any number of things... but the dog's tattoo ensures that no one ever goes "he may be a cryptorchid, let's take a look and see...." 

ColbyWolf March 19th, 2009 05:19:17 PM

It's been three weeks and I'm completely used to how my cat looks with his ear tipped. Not only that, I've decided I'm really glad his ear is tipped!

He comes around in the evening to eat, but the rest of the time I have no idea where he goes. It's good to know that he will be recognized as neutered by animal care workers and fellow cat caretakers now. In that respect, his ear tip helps to keep him safer.

My only regret is that the surgeon tipped his ear without telling me first (I had actually asked them not to). If I had been educated about the benefits of ear tipping, I would have volunteered to have it done and it wouldn't have come as a shock. As for aesthetics, it looks alot more subtle now that it has healed. Most people probably wouldn't even notice his ear has been cut.

Laurel April 9th, 2009 12:17:09 AM

شات

amal_ May 22nd, 2009 05:07:29 AM

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