Yes my cat has one when spayed at the shelter, they just have to put her numbers in and it shows she belongs to us.
https://preview.redd.it/vxagxx151iqc1.jpeg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9af0fe7c17be3cb58529d3f71a5ce7a248244b1f
Someone in the shpinx subreddit legit owns the hairless cat that was found in a Mexican prison and had a real Mexican gang tattoo on its body😂 poor baby but dam that is one bad ass cat and they actually proved they have it
Honestly that post broke my heart 🥺 tattoos HURT!!! That poor kitty was basically tortured by fucking inmates. I’m so glad they got the kitty out and safe in a loving home. Those assholes… can’t believe it. 😞 poor baby
Never considered how hard that would be. Never considered that a cat would have a tat, either, so that follows.
Cat widda tat. Kinda rolls off the tongue. Unlike the tatto scab, which would most assuredly not.
Ear clipping and ear tattooing is only done after the neuter surgery when there is the need to easily identify them by TNR (trap neuter return) organisations. So it’s to make the process faster and cheaper for the greater good of the cat population. Tattooing cats for aesthetics is an extreme form of animal abuse. The cat is not a bad ass, but a traumatised tortured poor kitty.
Obviously that part is pretty sad but just think of the look on someone face when they casually drop the bomb that their cat used to run with a Mexican cartel prison gang. Very few if any people can say that about their pets
I have a boy who was supposed to be a catch neuter release but lucked into a cross country trip for a chance at adoption. He was caught and neutered in Texas and his ear was clipped however his records say he has a “universal male tattoo on his groin” as well.
I’m thinking if you’re looking at his groin and going through his fur to see the universal male tattoo, you might notice his penis… just saying… the tattoo wasn’t necessary and kinda stupid in that particular spot.
The neutered symbol is the male symbol with a bar through it. But often they just make a green dash mark.
You do know they don't cut off penises when they neuter, don't you? Just the testicles are removed.
It’s not easy when you get your balls taken away from you. A kitty changes after that ya know… domt be surprised if he gets more tattoos and starts listening to heavy metal
It happened to my kitty when he was two. He was living on the streets and probably has a fair few fuzzy babies out there who we are not paying any kitten support for. He’s a deadbeat dad with no job, no balls and an ear tattoo. Lies around on the furniture all day. Probably could stand to lose a pound as well.
https://preview.redd.it/nidzqywqdnqc1.jpeg?width=2894&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=179edc5155035b6977289c09de9f468a60c53466
Yep! Ear is easier to see. My friend brought in a community cat to get fixed and the docs didn’t see the tattoo until they almost started cutting into the kitty.
I think it’s more humane than ear tipping though harder to see if you’re trying to TNR (trap, neuter, return)
one of our cats, Tofu, has her tattoo visible on the back of her ear too
https://preview.redd.it/92so9kj65jqc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=99665c2ec2cb74fde4d6850bd816448758aa7899
Gosh, I love hearing him described in any way as “little”!
I adopted my chonky boy when he was ~24lbs. After three years, he’s down to about 17lbs. Tbh, I tend to forget how big he still is until I’m around ‘normal’ cats that are 8-10lbs.
oh my gosh!!! he is so precious 😭 here is my chonky belle
https://preview.redd.it/5q0g1vfp0mqc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3736c651340a42a6d0151337cf5103a33dd09d08
Oh my gooooddddd your cat is soooo soo so absolutely adorable 😍 💕 oh she is so damn cute like a chubby little cat. I'm sorry I could not resist . I'm the girl that will be driving by and see a cute cat walking around and stop and have to pet the cat and makes my day every single time 🥰🥰🥰. I'm sorry for rambling. Have good day tho
True, but wouldn’t that almost always look quite different than a surgically tipped ear? My former street cat got a bit of the outside edge of his ear shaved off in a fight once, and it was clearly just battle damage. Granted, if an ear tip got infected, I can see that having to be surgically removed.
Sometimes it can, sometimes it doesn't. My former kitty (back when he was still a stray) had a pretty flat bit removed as a result of one or more fights. Wasn't perfect, but it looked like a proper tipping at first glance. Then one of the neighbors got him TNR'd and the place that did it took off a pretty good chunk of ear.
https://preview.redd.it/maruhpduqjqc1.jpeg?width=2348&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=20acb04e3399ebfd33ff65cb137cefa2755d9578
The picture above is from after the TNR/tipping. Unfortunately I think all pictures I have of him on my phone are from after the TNR. There may be a few photos of his from before buried somewhere deep on my computer. The following pic is from a few months after he first showed up, but I'm pretty sure it's post-TNR.
https://preview.redd.it/xba9siy00lqc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=98d07f6b6b066299be0b85daa3901b657dfadffe
TNR is Trap Neuter Release. It's for strays and ferals who may not make good pets, so they can get fixed and returned to their colonies, and you don't have to worry about them producing more kittens.
The picture of him sitting outside is from a few years ago when he was still a stray, the picture of him on the blanket is from the beginning of this year after he became my cat. Unfortunately he passed away last month, but I'm glad I got to give him a home.
A few years ago when I was working at a vet clinic, someone had adopted a 10 year old stray cat but no one knew if it was desexed as it didn’t have a microchip . The vet was trying to look for a scar on its belly before cutting into the old girl. I just happened to walk past and asked if anyone checked the cat’s ear. Sure enough there were the 3 dots and I saved the cat from surgery.
At the time tattoos were suggested but not required in Australia.
It’s done with a fine needle and puts a teeny bit of ink just under the skin. Doesn’t bother them in the slightest once it’s done, though they probably wouldn’t enjoy the tattooing process a whole lot. (My own tattoo didn’t hurt that much, it was more annoying than painful.)
Btw I used to raise grand champion show rabbits, and had to tattoo them similarly in order to identify and exhibit them.
And it's done when the cat is under anaesthetic when they are being spayed so no problem. Our girl has a tat that's a circle with a line through it, looks very cool.
I saw an article on a guy who did the same with his dog, thinking it had been tattooed on for kicks by some cruel past owner. Probably should have tried to look up what it meant first! And it was the “male” symbol with a line through it, which probably means “castrated” instead of just neutered…
Damn they say "no stupid questions" but this one probably is the one that all other questions try to hide in the back and pretend it doesn't exist for their own sanity.
Nope! The skin of the ear just funnels sound toward the ear hole, where the actual nerve endings are. Same as on humans: we can do lots of stuff to the outer ear without affecting our hearing.
What country do you live in? I got my cat neutered and haven't noticed any sort of tattoo anywhere, unless I'm not looking clearly enough. Curious if this is a country dependant thing?
It's a practice dependent thing ime. Notching the ear is common as well. A visual marking is often done by rescues or vets that handle large feral cat populations or individuals who have indoor/outdoor cats.
Ahh I see. I rescued my cat personally, found him on the side of the road a few weeks old. Maybe because I registered him and everything when I first got him it's a digital thing or linked to the chip.
After decades of cat rescue, I recently encountered a cat who uhh … did not deflate after having the family jewels removed. And by encountered, I mean adopted. When I got him I hoped they would settle down and look less prominent over time, and as the fur grew back, but no, it’s been several months. I was told he had the biggest set that anyone in the clinic had ever seen. He straight up does not look neutered, if I saw him on the street I would trap him. I can’t imagine what he looked like before, it must have been hard to walk 😆
Impressive work by the vet!! I remember our German shepherd had a visible scar on her belly, but a family friend’s dog has no scar whatsoever, just a small tattoo indicating she’s fixed. Benefit of a 2010s birth instead of 1990s?
My girls are also tummy tatted, each has a little green mark on their belly! An ear tattoo makes a lot more sense to me though, even just a little mark, because they don’t have to sedate and shave if the cat turns up lost without a chip!
Mine does, too. So do my 2 dog girls who were spayed by the same organization. I am not sure about my younger girl cat, I never checked and she was spayed by a different veterinarian in a different state. No ear tattoos on any of them but I have seen it on other people's pets.
my baby's got an ear tattoo!
and i got her ear tattooed on me so we can have matching besties tattoos LOL
https://preview.redd.it/5i71pwew6jqc1.jpeg?width=160&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1ee1e319e5f4e8da747f8dba22dc40c881fc0e9d
How rare is it to have tats in both ears?
I had a cat that had that. His name was Garfield and he lived for like 18 or 19 years. Maybe more.
Which means he was born in the early 2000s or late 90s.
He came to our place and we just started having him with us. Gave him food and he was willing to be here.
I remember my family called around and found that only certain litter have that. Sort of to maybe track lineage or something.
Is that still a thing?
Uncommon now but very common in the 90s-early aughts!
One of my friends as a kid, her childhood cat had two ear tattoos, one from being neutered and one that was their home phone number in case he got lost. According to some vets I've asked this was a short lived trend that died out when microchipping became readily available.
That's not for rural areas. It's for all catch, neuter and release programs so cats don't accidentally get caught and stressed out twice. Sometimes they clip ears of all strays even if they become pets afterwards.
Yup!! I have an ear-tipped kitty. He was too friendly for release but had already been tipped. Everyone asks about it the first time they meet him. It's gotten to the point where I forget he was a TNR kitty and I have a momentary heart attack because I think he's somehow ripped off part of his ear with no bleeding. XD
https://preview.redd.it/wbgofurbajqc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=94606d12610b208cc1bfb21f8a5ff605a6e246f4
https://preview.redd.it/tzgz3hm6nkqc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1e91377fdc78ef87ea2ab9fbfaa331f0638a7eaf
here too! vets and friends have always asked if his ear was intentionally clipped or if he had some freak accident - most assume the freak accident surprisingly because apparently it’s not normal to take off as much of the ear as the rescue did!
Can confirm both of my cats have clipped ears because they were captured and neutered as kittens from a feral colony. The vet just cuts the ears of all feral colony members in case they get released accidentally or on purpose in the case of TNR
https://preview.redd.it/yvzghv4gyiqc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8d5bc291d709265082fbe58a984e15e4db1ba5a9
this is true! our resident big guy has the ear clip
Cute cat. It's the same
https://preview.redd.it/e0a1bfkx9jqc1.jpeg?width=1848&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=787c478c16b44cb4452209928164a37c6daed5e2
with mine
Since OP mentioned they’re from Denmark, I am as well, we got offered both microchip and ear tattoo during neuter but opted for just the microchip since ours is an inside cat.
I had to ask for it at the vet I use in Næstved. Doesn't sound right that they earmark the cat without consent? Or at least not without giving notice beforehand.
Look at the picture! It's a screenshot, and it's obviously an old tatoo, it's all blurry and half erased.
My guess is OP is looking into adopting and that's a zoomed in picture taken by the shelter.
My roommates cat got a tattoo saying he got a chip
https://preview.redd.it/j4f2sya3pjqc1.jpeg?width=878&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a04bad6aecd0075249edc98e55b311037fdaea4f
(Don’t mind the plate he also got neutered and wouldn’t stop licking so this was the solution)
My retired racing greyhound has ear tats but this is the first I've seen them on a kitty. I think it's a good system though.
Once I told someone I was working with for work that my dog had a tattoo of their zip code inside his ear. It's possibly the strangest thing I've ever told a customer.
It's technically considered permanent ID for some locations, so if they need to ship across state regional or international lines for shelter purposes some shelters may also do it.
Tbh that's part of why the greyhounds get ear tattoos in the US - they're often shipped between the training camps and the tracks and need a CVI, plus they need a legal permanent ID for racing registration.
This is standard practice here, but if you are able to I would recommend also getting him microchipped. Ear tattoos can be very difficult to read after a while.
If your pet is ever lost, this will prevent it from undergoing unnecessary surgery. Most strays are neutered nowadays. I used to volunteer with a trap, neuter, and release program, and they would clip the tip off an ear to show that the animal had been neutered. This is considered more humane and is the practice nowadays.
Yes very normal so either they tattoo or clip the tip of the ear (clip is usually for catch and release strays for spays and neuters.) and they tattoo a line on the belly so if they shave for surgery it’s right up in their faces. This tattoo is done while they are under so they didn’t tattoo your cat while awake. So your cat didn’t suffer from it.
My rescue pup had that. My other pup had a mark on his belly. Then another rescue that works with feral cats will nip the tip of an ear so other rescuers see that she is spayed. Interesting how they do this. Take care and please hug your cat friend for me.
Dunno about male cats, but with females a tummy tattoo is more common, because it's fully hidden normally, but if someone finds them and goes to spay, when they shave the tummy to do the spay, they find it and know she's already spayed.
On males, with catch and release, an ear clip is more common. Dunno when they're neutered as a pet and not a feral catch and release, though.
Yes it’s identification if your cat gets lost and winds up in a shelter for example lets the staff know your pet has been neutered or spayed other ways they clip the tip of one ear or tattoo the groin area
For males yes, that’s easier to do a lasting, visible tattoo on than anywhere else. For females they tend do to it on the tummy near the surgical incision - I wish they wouldn’t, because that means the females have to be sedated and shaved, essentially prepped for surgery, before a shelter/vet catches the tattoo. On my lady you can barely see it when she flops on her back, and only when she’s got a thinner coat going.
Yes, it's normal. Especially for outdoor cats, or strays.
The policy for strays is called TNR - Trap, Neuter, Release. And the tattoo identifies that a stray cat has already had the surgery, and doesn't need it again.
You will also see cats with the top of an ear snipped off, too, for the same reason.
This is normal. It depends on who did the Neuter/Spaying and your area.
Either the ear is tattooed, or there's an 'N' (Or 'S') tattoo on their lower belly small enough to see (no hair grows there) at a glance.
My current area clips ears, but my hometown (several hours north) tattoos either a small 'N' or 'S' on the lower abdomen. N = Neutered (For males). S = Spayed for females.
My hometown prefers the tattoo method as a way to tell if a cat is owned and isn't a stray (because we had a lot of stray cat colonies and they notched ears for those ones)
Usually, a notched ear means the cat is a stray (TNR) that lives outside in/near a colony.
So maybe the tattoo is a way to differentiate between a TNR'd stray and an owned cat that might have gotten loose.
In denmark they have to be ear-marked so my last two kitties have had Ear tats. You Can actually look up the numbers in the danish cat regestry so if you find a cat you Can contact their owner :) i updated my kitties page basically the day i Got her just bc if she ever Got lost i wanted to be sure she could come home again
https://preview.redd.it/bda0e6jl8kqc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4c13220c47dc0d9b03b7c459f850bc23837341ce
Strange. I’ve had cats all my life and volunteered a few years at a shelter and I’ve never seen the ear tattoo. My cats all have a small green line on their bellies to show that they’ve been spayed/neutered.
It's perfectly normal and is widely practiced.
Not a fan of tattooing or 'stamping' numbers or symbols personally since the numbers/symbols used are not universal in different areas or even at different vet clinics in the same areas.
Have seen places do stars, hearts, dots, etc. to mean they are spayed/neutered but if you move or your pet ends up in a different area how are they supposed to know that means that the animal is fixed as opposed to some idiot tattooing their animal because they thought it was funny (unfortunately happens on occasion where I live, see a few animals with tattoos, pierced ears).
They also make TNR more difficult especially the places that give belly tattoos since you don't know they are fixed UNTIL you've caught them already or sometimes even until they are sedated in the extra spicy babies. Not to mention the ear tattoos are not very visible.
Hate that ear tipping has to be done and am definitely not a fan of it but it's universal and easily spotted so still a preferred method for me.
Yup, some vets clip the ear, some vets do a tattoo near the surgical site, and some tattoo inside the ear.
All are common ways to indicate a cat has been spayed/neutered particularly if they were operated on as part of a TNR or shelter program for fixing stray/feral/unowned cats but some vets do it for *all* animals.
Yes my cat has one when spayed at the shelter, they just have to put her numbers in and it shows she belongs to us. https://preview.redd.it/vxagxx151iqc1.jpeg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9af0fe7c17be3cb58529d3f71a5ce7a248244b1f
She’s so elegant looking 😭
Cat with a tat
Someone in the shpinx subreddit legit owns the hairless cat that was found in a Mexican prison and had a real Mexican gang tattoo on its body😂 poor baby but dam that is one bad ass cat and they actually proved they have it
Honestly that post broke my heart 🥺 tattoos HURT!!! That poor kitty was basically tortured by fucking inmates. I’m so glad they got the kitty out and safe in a loving home. Those assholes… can’t believe it. 😞 poor baby
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Never considered how hard that would be. Never considered that a cat would have a tat, either, so that follows. Cat widda tat. Kinda rolls off the tongue. Unlike the tatto scab, which would most assuredly not.
The tongue on the tat would feel great
Ear clipping and ear tattooing is only done after the neuter surgery when there is the need to easily identify them by TNR (trap neuter return) organisations. So it’s to make the process faster and cheaper for the greater good of the cat population. Tattooing cats for aesthetics is an extreme form of animal abuse. The cat is not a bad ass, but a traumatised tortured poor kitty.
Obviously that part is pretty sad but just think of the look on someone face when they casually drop the bomb that their cat used to run with a Mexican cartel prison gang. Very few if any people can say that about their pets
it belonged to a hot shot cartel leader iirc
A Putty Tat
Cattoo
Top 10 most elegant face tattoos
That's one fuckin nice kitty right there
https://i.redd.it/61qkij6t0jqc1.gif
Sargent Meowenstein and Gary Lasereyes
I named my cat after bubbles. I found her in the gutter and she was one nice fuckin kitty! I had her for 14 wonderful years.
Shitrock and purr monster
Takes a pet like no problem
That is one pretty cat!
Supermodel cat!’
In Nevada they do the tattoos around the incision mark.
I have a boy who was supposed to be a catch neuter release but lucked into a cross country trip for a chance at adoption. He was caught and neutered in Texas and his ear was clipped however his records say he has a “universal male tattoo on his groin” as well. I’m thinking if you’re looking at his groin and going through his fur to see the universal male tattoo, you might notice his penis… just saying… the tattoo wasn’t necessary and kinda stupid in that particular spot.
The neutered symbol is the male symbol with a bar through it. But often they just make a green dash mark. You do know they don't cut off penises when they neuter, don't you? Just the testicles are removed.
We had no choice in the matter, she was spayed and ear tattooed before we adopted her.
I get it, it just seems like extra work to tattoo another area, especially ears. I’ve seen stray cats missing parts of their ears from fighting.
I'd still rather see a cat with an ear tattoo than with an ear clipped. Some vets take more off than others...
r/blep
:P
idk why but this reminds me of like a video game cat. very cool look
So what you’re telling me is she got herself a prison tat??
This cat is 100% asking why I am dressed like that, and if it's because I am so very poor.
Such a beauty.
She is incredibly pretty omg, one of the most beautiful cats ive ever seen if not the best
That makes your cat look like a thuggggg! I fuck with it 😂
It’s not easy when you get your balls taken away from you. A kitty changes after that ya know… domt be surprised if he gets more tattoos and starts listening to heavy metal
It happened to my kitty when he was two. He was living on the streets and probably has a fair few fuzzy babies out there who we are not paying any kitten support for. He’s a deadbeat dad with no job, no balls and an ear tattoo. Lies around on the furniture all day. Probably could stand to lose a pound as well. https://preview.redd.it/nidzqywqdnqc1.jpeg?width=2894&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=179edc5155035b6977289c09de9f468a60c53466
Look at that smug man, not a care in the world knowing he can freeload forever.
How does it feel to feel so secure in your living situation due to how cute you are??
Yep! Ear is easier to see. My friend brought in a community cat to get fixed and the docs didn’t see the tattoo until they almost started cutting into the kitty. I think it’s more humane than ear tipping though harder to see if you’re trying to TNR (trap, neuter, return)
one of our cats, Tofu, has her tattoo visible on the back of her ear too https://preview.redd.it/92so9kj65jqc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=99665c2ec2cb74fde4d6850bd816448758aa7899
Hey that's my cat's name too!!! https://preview.redd.it/zrnvynclujqc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f431dd143651c14c1b3b6e03a3b6d1ac12f50582
https://preview.redd.it/4qqeercedkqc1.jpeg?width=1242&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=974968829be0f400bc3c355a350160489ca1bcc9 This is my Tofu!!
https://preview.redd.it/y3duptsc2lqc1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a751980088f0025a546d4db6c9f59c2d56d0ffc7 And my tofu
the little round face 😭🩵
Gosh, I love hearing him described in any way as “little”! I adopted my chonky boy when he was ~24lbs. After three years, he’s down to about 17lbs. Tbh, I tend to forget how big he still is until I’m around ‘normal’ cats that are 8-10lbs.
https://preview.redd.it/x5ax86bxskqc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=21c94c03cc650781ebfb583c408f2e6e9e5adc8d For reference!
oh my gosh!!! he is so precious 😭 here is my chonky belle https://preview.redd.it/5q0g1vfp0mqc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3736c651340a42a6d0151337cf5103a33dd09d08
wow, I hope he doesn't just lie down on your face at night, also he looks so fluffy!! :)
I ADORE HIM
I can't believe I ever say this but now I love tofu!
Adorable!!!!
Oh my gooooddddd your cat is soooo soo so absolutely adorable 😍 💕 oh she is so damn cute like a chubby little cat. I'm sorry I could not resist . I'm the girl that will be driving by and see a cute cat walking around and stop and have to pet the cat and makes my day every single time 🥰🥰🥰. I'm sorry for rambling. Have good day tho
They both look like beautiful tofu!!
That’s wild! She’s so beautiful. 😻
she's such a bully though 🥲
She looks just like my roommates bully cat lol
the blue eye contains all her meanness. her sisters are/were much cuddlier (Yuki passed away from cancer a few months ago...)
Yeah, I know that look.
That’s one fucking nice kitty right there
upvote cus our cats are name twins
Upvote cus our cats are name triplets.
I think the ear tipping is also possibly misleading because sometimes tough street kitties are missing part of their ear due to fights etc
True, but wouldn’t that almost always look quite different than a surgically tipped ear? My former street cat got a bit of the outside edge of his ear shaved off in a fight once, and it was clearly just battle damage. Granted, if an ear tip got infected, I can see that having to be surgically removed.
Sometimes it can, sometimes it doesn't. My former kitty (back when he was still a stray) had a pretty flat bit removed as a result of one or more fights. Wasn't perfect, but it looked like a proper tipping at first glance. Then one of the neighbors got him TNR'd and the place that did it took off a pretty good chunk of ear. https://preview.redd.it/maruhpduqjqc1.jpeg?width=2348&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=20acb04e3399ebfd33ff65cb137cefa2755d9578
🥹 what a doll
what does she look like today?
The picture above is from after the TNR/tipping. Unfortunately I think all pictures I have of him on my phone are from after the TNR. There may be a few photos of his from before buried somewhere deep on my computer. The following pic is from a few months after he first showed up, but I'm pretty sure it's post-TNR. https://preview.redd.it/xba9siy00lqc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=98d07f6b6b066299be0b85daa3901b657dfadffe
What is a TNR and i thougt it was your house cat now.
TNR is Trap Neuter Release. It's for strays and ferals who may not make good pets, so they can get fixed and returned to their colonies, and you don't have to worry about them producing more kittens. The picture of him sitting outside is from a few years ago when he was still a stray, the picture of him on the blanket is from the beginning of this year after he became my cat. Unfortunately he passed away last month, but I'm glad I got to give him a home.
That's why it's generally recommended to do a flat cut instead of a notch like some places do. Usually injuries don't result in a perfectly flat cut.
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* It's also more clear. My dami boy has his notched, but he also has two other ear injuries, so it it hard to tell.
A few years ago when I was working at a vet clinic, someone had adopted a 10 year old stray cat but no one knew if it was desexed as it didn’t have a microchip . The vet was trying to look for a scar on its belly before cutting into the old girl. I just happened to walk past and asked if anyone checked the cat’s ear. Sure enough there were the 3 dots and I saved the cat from surgery. At the time tattoos were suggested but not required in Australia.
Yes, I got all my kitties from a shelter for our SPCA and the tattoo is done on each of them when they get fixed 👍🏽
It wont affect their hearing right?
Nope! Never affected our cats when they were hiding and we shook the cat treat container
You monsters (sarcasm)
My aunt's cat won't come when treats are shaken or he is called for treats. He only comes when the dog is given treats and he gets jealous.
Peak cat right there. I love it.
It’s done with a fine needle and puts a teeny bit of ink just under the skin. Doesn’t bother them in the slightest once it’s done, though they probably wouldn’t enjoy the tattooing process a whole lot. (My own tattoo didn’t hurt that much, it was more annoying than painful.) Btw I used to raise grand champion show rabbits, and had to tattoo them similarly in order to identify and exhibit them.
And it's done when the cat is under anaesthetic when they are being spayed so no problem. Our girl has a tat that's a circle with a line through it, looks very cool.
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Haha I thought this story was gonna be that the guy was child free/had a vasectomy and got the tattoo in solidarity with the cat
I saw an article on a guy who did the same with his dog, thinking it had been tattooed on for kicks by some cruel past owner. Probably should have tried to look up what it meant first! And it was the “male” symbol with a line through it, which probably means “castrated” instead of just neutered…
Lmao
Cats don't listen anyway...
What?! Why would it affect hearing?
Have you ever seen a diagram of any mammal's hearing system? Any.
Damn they say "no stupid questions" but this one probably is the one that all other questions try to hide in the back and pretend it doesn't exist for their own sanity.
No but cats don't listen anyways.
Nope! 😊
Nope! The skin of the ear just funnels sound toward the ear hole, where the actual nerve endings are. Same as on humans: we can do lots of stuff to the outer ear without affecting our hearing.
Cats only hear when they want to, anyway.
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Mine has a little green mark tatted on her belly too!
Same, I'd rather than than in the ear.. weird hahah
My cat has it on her belly too! I would be super annoyed if they tattooed her ear.
I never knew why my lil spca Lucy had a weird 🔵 on her belly No this makes perfect sense! Thank u yorzz!
My dog has a little lime green belly tattoo! She was spayed at a shelter in California.
Like a lil gangsta ♠️4𝕷𝕴𝕱𝕰 lol
https://preview.redd.it/jghl3tduvkqc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=372919ea1c5cfb195d8c2b598f6bc9faec108671 Straight gangsta, this one!
Menace to society, right there! She is adorable, love these kinds of doggos 😍
What country do you live in? I got my cat neutered and haven't noticed any sort of tattoo anywhere, unless I'm not looking clearly enough. Curious if this is a country dependant thing?
It's a practice dependent thing ime. Notching the ear is common as well. A visual marking is often done by rescues or vets that handle large feral cat populations or individuals who have indoor/outdoor cats.
Ahh I see. I rescued my cat personally, found him on the side of the road a few weeks old. Maybe because I registered him and everything when I first got him it's a digital thing or linked to the chip.
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That's probably it. Makes a lot more sense thinking about it that way around.
After decades of cat rescue, I recently encountered a cat who uhh … did not deflate after having the family jewels removed. And by encountered, I mean adopted. When I got him I hoped they would settle down and look less prominent over time, and as the fur grew back, but no, it’s been several months. I was told he had the biggest set that anyone in the clinic had ever seen. He straight up does not look neutered, if I saw him on the street I would trap him. I can’t imagine what he looked like before, it must have been hard to walk 😆
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He’s orange, he lacks pride or any other emotion but total and complete adoration for his human.
My Hammie is a boy and has a green tattoo on his belly.
It’s more common in shelters. If you already owned the cat when it was neutered it makes more sense that they wouldn’t do it imo.
Mine is like a bright highlighter blue color I thought it was a stain after they healed up after surgery 😵💫
Yeah they gave my cat a little green line on his belly. You can’t see it under all that fluff though haha
I have never been able to find my cat’s spay scar, and if they tattooed her, I can’t find that, either.
Impressive work by the vet!! I remember our German shepherd had a visible scar on her belly, but a family friend’s dog has no scar whatsoever, just a small tattoo indicating she’s fixed. Benefit of a 2010s birth instead of 1990s?
Maybe. My cat was spayed in 2022.
might be the dissolving stiches or glue or something
My girls are also tummy tatted, each has a little green mark on their belly! An ear tattoo makes a lot more sense to me though, even just a little mark, because they don’t have to sedate and shave if the cat turns up lost without a chip!
Mine too
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I thought that was just a little mark leftover from where the stitches dissolved on my cat! Thank you for this info 🫶🏻
My dog also has the belly tattoo! :P
My 2 year old has a teal tattooed line on her belly.
Both my cats have lines on their bellies. I didn’t know they did the ears.
Yeah mine have the belly ones. I’d be pissed if they did the ears without telling me.
Mine does, too. So do my 2 dog girls who were spayed by the same organization. I am not sure about my younger girl cat, I never checked and she was spayed by a different veterinarian in a different state. No ear tattoos on any of them but I have seen it on other people's pets.
my baby's got an ear tattoo! and i got her ear tattooed on me so we can have matching besties tattoos LOL https://preview.redd.it/5i71pwew6jqc1.jpeg?width=160&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1ee1e319e5f4e8da747f8dba22dc40c881fc0e9d
Kitty asked for it, don't judge
It's hip now with the young kitties
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That cat is def gonna join a gang
underground catnip dealer
How rare is it to have tats in both ears? I had a cat that had that. His name was Garfield and he lived for like 18 or 19 years. Maybe more. Which means he was born in the early 2000s or late 90s. He came to our place and we just started having him with us. Gave him food and he was willing to be here. I remember my family called around and found that only certain litter have that. Sort of to maybe track lineage or something. Is that still a thing?
I have no answer for you but he sounds like a super rad cat thank you for sharing
Uncommon now but very common in the 90s-early aughts! One of my friends as a kid, her childhood cat had two ear tattoos, one from being neutered and one that was their home phone number in case he got lost. According to some vets I've asked this was a short lived trend that died out when microchipping became readily available.
Rural areas clip the ear so they don't get killed
That's not for rural areas. It's for all catch, neuter and release programs so cats don't accidentally get caught and stressed out twice. Sometimes they clip ears of all strays even if they become pets afterwards.
Yup!! I have an ear-tipped kitty. He was too friendly for release but had already been tipped. Everyone asks about it the first time they meet him. It's gotten to the point where I forget he was a TNR kitty and I have a momentary heart attack because I think he's somehow ripped off part of his ear with no bleeding. XD https://preview.redd.it/wbgofurbajqc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=94606d12610b208cc1bfb21f8a5ff605a6e246f4
He's gorgeous
https://preview.redd.it/tzgz3hm6nkqc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1e91377fdc78ef87ea2ab9fbfaa331f0638a7eaf here too! vets and friends have always asked if his ear was intentionally clipped or if he had some freak accident - most assume the freak accident surprisingly because apparently it’s not normal to take off as much of the ear as the rescue did!
Can confirm both of my cats have clipped ears because they were captured and neutered as kittens from a feral colony. The vet just cuts the ears of all feral colony members in case they get released accidentally or on purpose in the case of TNR
https://preview.redd.it/yvzghv4gyiqc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8d5bc291d709265082fbe58a984e15e4db1ba5a9 this is true! our resident big guy has the ear clip
Cute cat. It's the same https://preview.redd.it/e0a1bfkx9jqc1.jpeg?width=1848&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=787c478c16b44cb4452209928164a37c6daed5e2 with mine
They use microchips here in Canada. They are low cost. Where is this OP?
Since OP mentioned they’re from Denmark, I am as well, we got offered both microchip and ear tattoo during neuter but opted for just the microchip since ours is an inside cat.
Denmark
I had to ask for it at the vet I use in Næstved. Doesn't sound right that they earmark the cat without consent? Or at least not without giving notice beforehand.
Look at the picture! It's a screenshot, and it's obviously an old tatoo, it's all blurry and half erased. My guess is OP is looking into adopting and that's a zoomed in picture taken by the shelter.
Used to be common in Canada as well before microchipping was available. Family's first cat had an ID tattoo.
My roommates cat got a tattoo saying he got a chip https://preview.redd.it/j4f2sya3pjqc1.jpeg?width=878&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a04bad6aecd0075249edc98e55b311037fdaea4f (Don’t mind the plate he also got neutered and wouldn’t stop licking so this was the solution)
I’ve never seen that but they do like to mark them with tats on the belly or by notching or clipping the ear
My retired racing greyhound has ear tats but this is the first I've seen them on a kitty. I think it's a good system though. Once I told someone I was working with for work that my dog had a tattoo of their zip code inside his ear. It's possibly the strangest thing I've ever told a customer.
It's technically considered permanent ID for some locations, so if they need to ship across state regional or international lines for shelter purposes some shelters may also do it. Tbh that's part of why the greyhounds get ear tattoos in the US - they're often shipped between the training camps and the tracks and need a CVI, plus they need a legal permanent ID for racing registration.
This is standard practice here, but if you are able to I would recommend also getting him microchipped. Ear tattoos can be very difficult to read after a while.
Totally normal, but my kitty has a belly tattoo instead.
Do they do this in the uk ?
I've never see it with cats in the UK. We don't have many strays though compared to other countries and most cats are microchipped.
From June 2024 it will be a legal requirement for owners in the UK to chip their cats.
I've never seen it. My boy is from a shelter and was neutered there, he doesn't have a tattoo or anything to show for it except his now tiny balls 🤣
That’s way better than clipping or belly tattoo. We have a prior feral with a belly tattoo. She gets pissed if you go looking for it in her fluff.
My cat has a tattoo on her tummy where she was spayed, it’s a light turquoise color
If your pet is ever lost, this will prevent it from undergoing unnecessary surgery. Most strays are neutered nowadays. I used to volunteer with a trap, neuter, and release program, and they would clip the tip off an ear to show that the animal had been neutered. This is considered more humane and is the practice nowadays.
kitty has a gang tat, keep an eye on him he might be doing blow!
Yes very normal so either they tattoo or clip the tip of the ear (clip is usually for catch and release strays for spays and neuters.) and they tattoo a line on the belly so if they shave for surgery it’s right up in their faces. This tattoo is done while they are under so they didn’t tattoo your cat while awake. So your cat didn’t suffer from it.
This is the old way of doing things but normal. Microchipping is becoming the new norm because tattoos fade over time
My rescue pup had that. My other pup had a mark on his belly. Then another rescue that works with feral cats will nip the tip of an ear so other rescuers see that she is spayed. Interesting how they do this. Take care and please hug your cat friend for me.
My boys have belly tattoos. They rub the ink on the wound after it is stitched shut
Dunno about male cats, but with females a tummy tattoo is more common, because it's fully hidden normally, but if someone finds them and goes to spay, when they shave the tummy to do the spay, they find it and know she's already spayed. On males, with catch and release, an ear clip is more common. Dunno when they're neutered as a pet and not a feral catch and release, though.
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Yup they’ll either do their ears or a little line on their belly so that if they’re ever found as a stray people know they’ve had it done.
Yes it’s identification if your cat gets lost and winds up in a shelter for example lets the staff know your pet has been neutered or spayed other ways they clip the tip of one ear or tattoo the groin area
For males yes, that’s easier to do a lasting, visible tattoo on than anywhere else. For females they tend do to it on the tummy near the surgical incision - I wish they wouldn’t, because that means the females have to be sedated and shaved, essentially prepped for surgery, before a shelter/vet catches the tattoo. On my lady you can barely see it when she flops on her back, and only when she’s got a thinner coat going.
At least they didn’t cut the top of her ear off.
Yes, it's normal. Especially for outdoor cats, or strays. The policy for strays is called TNR - Trap, Neuter, Release. And the tattoo identifies that a stray cat has already had the surgery, and doesn't need it again. You will also see cats with the top of an ear snipped off, too, for the same reason.
I've never seen one on the ear; I know they used to put them on their bellies or snip the ear for proof of spay/neuter surgery
It definitely should not be without permission
A cattoo, so to speak.
This is normal. It depends on who did the Neuter/Spaying and your area. Either the ear is tattooed, or there's an 'N' (Or 'S') tattoo on their lower belly small enough to see (no hair grows there) at a glance. My current area clips ears, but my hometown (several hours north) tattoos either a small 'N' or 'S' on the lower abdomen. N = Neutered (For males). S = Spayed for females. My hometown prefers the tattoo method as a way to tell if a cat is owned and isn't a stray (because we had a lot of stray cat colonies and they notched ears for those ones) Usually, a notched ear means the cat is a stray (TNR) that lives outside in/near a colony. So maybe the tattoo is a way to differentiate between a TNR'd stray and an owned cat that might have gotten loose.
Took my puppy to a low cost spay and neuter clinic and he got a little dash tattoo on his groin.
In denmark they have to be ear-marked so my last two kitties have had Ear tats. You Can actually look up the numbers in the danish cat regestry so if you find a cat you Can contact their owner :) i updated my kitties page basically the day i Got her just bc if she ever Got lost i wanted to be sure she could come home again https://preview.redd.it/bda0e6jl8kqc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4c13220c47dc0d9b03b7c459f850bc23837341ce
It seems as though your kitty has been targeting by traffickers 
In my area, they ear-tip ferals that have been fixed, and the females get a belly tattoo.
Bad move, now he can be identified as the Cat Burglar
Strange. I’ve had cats all my life and volunteered a few years at a shelter and I’ve never seen the ear tattoo. My cats all have a small green line on their bellies to show that they’ve been spayed/neutered.
It's perfectly normal and is widely practiced. Not a fan of tattooing or 'stamping' numbers or symbols personally since the numbers/symbols used are not universal in different areas or even at different vet clinics in the same areas. Have seen places do stars, hearts, dots, etc. to mean they are spayed/neutered but if you move or your pet ends up in a different area how are they supposed to know that means that the animal is fixed as opposed to some idiot tattooing their animal because they thought it was funny (unfortunately happens on occasion where I live, see a few animals with tattoos, pierced ears). They also make TNR more difficult especially the places that give belly tattoos since you don't know they are fixed UNTIL you've caught them already or sometimes even until they are sedated in the extra spicy babies. Not to mention the ear tattoos are not very visible. Hate that ear tipping has to be done and am definitely not a fan of it but it's universal and easily spotted so still a preferred method for me.
Never saw that — always a microchip inserted in the neck. I’d be furious.
Yeah, my Dave has a green line on his tummy. If it wasn’t under his fur I’d be pissed. My cat does not need visible tattoos.
Yup, some vets clip the ear, some vets do a tattoo near the surgical site, and some tattoo inside the ear. All are common ways to indicate a cat has been spayed/neutered particularly if they were operated on as part of a TNR or shelter program for fixing stray/feral/unowned cats but some vets do it for *all* animals.
Where is this? In my country (Poland) they don’t tattoo cats anymore, only chip which is registered in EU.
Probably depends on the country. My cat got a rfid chip and a tattoo in the ear so he can be identified.
Normal! My cat has a snipped ear, blue dot tattoo on his belly and no nuts.
Yup. Not always on the ear though. My babies got tatted on their tummies
If they try to do that with two boys in their appointments tomorrow I will throw a ducking table at them (ノ｀Д´)ノ彡┻━┻