Looking for info - cat found w/ tatoo on belly

My sister-in-law found a cat that was dropped off at their rural home in upstate NY. The cat has a permanent tatoo on its abdomen; 2 numbers and 2 letters and then an arrow pointing toward the posterior.
Does anybody have any idea what this is about? Is it a private pet owner ID or is it an ID used in a lab cat????

Thanks, 2Curious

My cat Ullah was tattoed after her spay, I don't remember what it was though. I'd say that's your best guess. Especially if there's an arrow pointing down there.

Wow an arrow is kinda wierd, is it a purebreed by chance?

The cat is owned by someone and been spayed. Any chance the cat is microchipped?

I think if it was a lab cat it would definetly have a microchip of some sort. I know that large colonies of lab rats are microchipped, so I would assume lab cats would be too. Also, there are extremely strict guidelines about laboratory animals. I would almost be certain that a lab cat would never get out of the laboratory unless an unusual circumstance was allowed for adoption. No professional researcher would ever risk letting an animal escape because it would be cause for them to lose their grant money and ability to practice.
I would contact your local humane society or vet...they can tell you if there is a microchip.
Are you sure that the cat is tattooed, and its not simply black marker? Those are some weird markings though??????
What a weird story...I look forward to an update.

My employer's dog has a tattoo on her belly because she has black fur you cannot easily find her spay scar apparently. Personally I dont think finding the tattoo is any easier, but, whatever.

I would take this cat to either a vet or reputable shelter to see if they can make sense of the tattoo. It may help to locate the owner. They could also scan it for a microchip at the same time. At our clinic we do this for free