Cat tattoos?

"Snittens" wrote :

The friendly cats that got TNR'ed by the
group usually adopt more quickly because it's such a tug at the
heartstrings
story to tell and people think the tipped ear is unique.


The tipped ear is disfigurement. I cannot understand how cat
lovers can condone the practice.

"cybercat" wrote:


"Snittens" wrote :

The friendly cats that got TNR'ed by the
group usually adopt more quickly because it's such a tug at the
heartstrings
story to tell and people think the tipped ear is unique.


The tipped ear is disfigurement. I cannot understand how cat
lovers can condone the practice.


I feel that way about it too. Hopefully the reasonable explanation is
that there are benefits that outweigh any discomfort .

-mhd

wrote in message
...
"cybercat" wrote:


"Snittens" wrote :

The friendly cats that got TNR'ed by the
group usually adopt more quickly because it's such a tug at the
heartstrings
story to tell and people think the tipped ear is unique.


The tipped ear is disfigurement. I cannot understand how cat
lovers can condone the practice.


I feel that way about it too. Hopefully the reasonable explanation is
that there are benefits that outweigh any discomfort .


That's the argument, but there has to be a better way to mark them
than to ruin the perfect symmetry of these amazing creatures. Anyway,
it is nice to know I am not alone in feeling bothered by it.

Snittens wrote:
"-L." wrote

Most TNR programs I have met nick or crop the ears so the cats can be
spotted from afar. IMO, it's a much better system.
-L.


Oh, actually they do that too. The tattoo is the cat's ID number with the
group, for medical records purposes. I think they round them up once a year
(?? not sure) and vaccinate them.

Damn, they're lucky if they can. Most TNR programs I know of feel
lucky if they can catch them once to neuter them. So many of them
become trap-wary.

The friendly cats that got TNR'ed by the
group usually adopt more quickly because it's such a tug at the heartstrings
story to tell and people think the tipped ear is unique.


LOL....I know. Everybody always feels sorry for them.
-L.

-L.

"cybercat" wrote
The tipped ear is disfigurement. I cannot understand how cat
lovers can condone the practice.



Well, I'm drawing a blank at how else you can tell from a distance if a cat
has already been spayed/neutered. Any ideas? I'm sure the feral groups
would love to hear them.

--
-Kelly

Snittens wrote:
"cybercat" wrote
The tipped ear is disfigurement. I cannot understand how cat
lovers can condone the practice.



Well, I'm drawing a blank at how else you can tell from a distance if a cat
has already been spayed/neutered. Any ideas? I'm sure the feral groups
would love to hear them.

--
-Kelly

Don't you know, Kelly? We are supposed to hold them down, shave their
tummies to look for a scar that may or may not be there even if they
are spayed, and/or palpitate their balls to see if they have nuggets,
which may or may not work considering how cold it is outside. All
right out there in the field, in the dead of the night. You know,
feral cats are all soooo docile!. Silly girl!
-L.

"Snittens" wrote in message
...
"cybercat" wrote
The tipped ear is disfigurement. I cannot understand how cat
lovers can condone the practice.



Well, I'm drawing a blank at how else you can tell from a distance if a
cat
has already been spayed/neutered. Any ideas? I'm sure the feral groups
would love to hear them.


Did I SAY there was a better way for the volunteers to CONVENIENTLY
identify neutered animals, which is what you are really talking about when
you insist that they must be able to tell from a distance? I said exactly
what I meant:
"The tipped ear is disfigurement. I cannot understand how cat lovers can
condone
the practice." The latter statement derives from the same place in me that
has a
really hard time understanding how alleged cat lovers can recommend that
someone who loves a cat but is having problems with it should return
it to a kill shelter. It may be convenient but it still sucks for the cat.

It IS disfigurement, and I hate the idea of disfiguring animals for any
reason. In
this case it is done for the convenience of the people who are
participating in
programs that will keep the cats from breeding, but it is still done for
their
convenience. After all, if you can trap an animal to have it neutered, you
can
trap an animal to check to see if it has BEEN neutered. Therefore it is not
actually necessary to cut off the tip of the cat's ear in order to be sure
it is neutered,
it is just easier for those participating in the program. A tattoo would be
much
better, but much more trouble for those trapping the cats.

The reasoning is, no doubt, that these wonderful, compassionate people are
giving their time and resources to a bunch of unloved and unwanted cats, so
make it as convenient for them as possible, even if it means cutting off a
part
of the cat's ear.

The reasoning is, no doubt, that these wonderful, compassionate people are
giving their time and resources to a bunch of unloved and unwanted cats,
so
make it as convenient for them as possible, even if it means cutting off a
part
of the cat's ear.


The choices a tip the cat's ear, repeatedly trap and anesthetize the cat
to check for a spay scar or feel the balls. Yes, you have to knock out a
feral cat to check for these things. Or trap the cat repeatedly to check
for a tattoo. Both of the last two choices involve repeatedly stressing out
the cat. Do you have any research of ear tipping causing harm to cats?
Which is better for the cat?
--
-Kelly

"-L." wrote
Damn, they're lucky if they can. Most TNR programs I know of feel
lucky if they can catch them once to neuter them. So many of them
become trap-wary.

I'm not sure how successful they are on vetting after the initial trapping,
but when we get a cat from them, the cat comes with records with the tattoo
number on it.

--
-Kelly

cybercat wrote:
After all, if you can trap an animal to have it neutered, you
can
trap an animal to check to see if it has BEEN neutered.

The tipped ear signals the cat is neutered *whether or not it is
trapped*.

A TTVNR program is not going to spend money, time, energy and resources
transporting a cat, having it sedated and paying a vet to determine if
it has been neutered, if they can help it. The only way to determine
if the cat's already been TTVNR'd is to have some external visual cue.
The tipped ear is the UNIVERSAL cue to anyone who works in pet rescue -
vets, shelters, those who run feral colonies, people who do TTVNR. No
matter where that cat ends up, the ear tells people it's a neutered
cat. A tipped-eared cat in a trap is released immediately so the
resources can be used to focus on cats who need the service.


Therefore it is not
actually necessary to cut off the tip of the cat's ear in order to be sure
it is neutered

Um, yes, it is. What other *easily seen* visual cue do you suggest?
It has to be easy to see on a trapped cat that is constantly moving,
snarling, growling, lunging, hissing, swatting and trying to bite. It
has to be seen at a distance when one is looking to trap a single stray
for TTVNR. I wish there was some way to permanently dye the ear, but
there isn't.

,
it is just easier for those participating in the program. A tattoo would be
much
better, but much more trouble for those trapping the cats.

You can't usually see a tatoo, especially at a distance. Most cats have
to have their ears shaved to see a tatoo. Tatoos don't work on
dark-skinned cats. Tatoos cost money to do, tipping is free. Tipping
works well on all cats.


The reasoning is, no doubt, that these wonderful, compassionate people are
giving their time and resources to a bunch of unloved and unwanted cats, so
make it as convenient for them as possible, even if it means cutting off a
part
of the cat's ear.

If there was a way to do it without tipping the ear, it would be done.

Seriously, and I don't mean this snarkily - spend some major time at a
local shelter. You will better understand why things are done the way
they are in animal rescue. It is a process and experience that will
change your life forever - in so many ways.

WRT "the way things are done" at shelters - the "returning the cat to
the shelter" recommendation isn't merely for the benefit of the hapless
adoptor - it benefits the cat, it benefits the shelter. More often
than not, cats who end up with people like Phillip end up being dumped
- and being dumped is a FAR worse fate that being euthanized. When one
returns a cat, it tells a GOOD shelter not to adopt another cat to this
person (I understand that the OC shelter did - fie on them!) and in the
process, a GOOD shelter will cousel the person about what went wrong,
hopefully making sure it doesn't happen again. They will also assess
their screning process and try to determine where they went wrong in
placing the cat in the first place. In every shelter I have worked
at, returned animals get special consideration for time on death row.
So, you see, it isn't just a black-and-white issue. Some fates are
worse than being euthanized, and education is the ultime goal of the
process. In an ideal world, people like Phillip would work with the
animal - do whatever it takes to make the situation work, for life.
But people (in general) aren't like that - it is the rare person who
commits to an animal for life. Shelters realize this, and that's why
they make the recommendations they do. Animals in this society are
seen as disposable - and it's sickening. And the shelters have to work
the system in such a way to try to educate people to think differently
about animals. The only way to do that is to get people like Phillip
back in the door.

I hope you will take this post in the light it was offered - no
animosity, no flames.

-L.