Do all TNR's have their ear clipped after? Pru has a slit on her left ear, possibly from a fight, but are the ear clippings a slit like that or bigger? Thanks, I'm just trying to figure out her story.
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Clipping Ear with TNR
- Thread starter jean-ji
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I don't have an answer, but I wanted to
and tell you your kitties are beautiful!!!!
Katie will probably come along and be able to answer your question more definitely.
I can tell you, from my own experience, when I found Angel (who has since disappeared
), her entire ear tip was missing as a result of TNR. In this area, that is the normal procedure.
I can tell you, from my own experience, when I found Angel (who has since disappeared
It is not a slit, it is the tip of the ear cut off in a very even line.
Ear tipping is recommended but not mandatory for TNR'd cats. Sounds like your Pru hasn't been eartipped - here's a cat a day or so after he'd been done by a local animal shelter:
The most universal form of showing that a cat has been TNRed is the eartip that was provided above. The tip of the left ear is cleanly cut so that a caretaker can tell that the cat has already been neutered or spayed.
Katie
Katie
I will add that not all vets practice ear tipping, or if they do, may not have done it until recently. My older ferals were not ear tipped as my vet wasn't familiar with the procedure when I had them speutered 11-12 years ago. So cats with full ears may still be speutered.
Very good point....every clinic it seems we get one or two already fixed cats. They get their ear tipped and get vaccinated.
Katie
Katie
If the ear does not look like the photo in PlanetoftheCats' post (great photo, BTW), then it's not safe to assume the cat is s/n. If a cat has a notch or tear in the ear that looks like it might be from a fight or something similar, then it's wise to assume that it was from a fight or other injury. Part of the purpose of the straight eartip is that it does not look like something that could have happened accidentally.
In most of the US, the left ear is the standard place to eartip. On the West Coast, though, the right ear is standard.
In most of the US, the left ear is the standard place to eartip. On the West Coast, though, the right ear is standard.
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Thanks for all the good info. Pru's is just notched, not the clipping. Great picture of a clipped ear.
Are you serious? Gee, when I was in high school wearing an earring in one ear meant different things, depending on which ear it was and on which coast you lived on.
Thank you very much, hijack away!
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Isn't that a little mean? Couldn't they find another way to mark them?
That ear-tipping is such a good idea, I wished I had known about it before I got my first 3 ferals done. It would have made identification of who I had in the trap so much easier.
Here's a picture of a feral that is ear-tipped.
While under anesthetic for neutering, feral cats have 1/'4 inch of the left ear cropped. It is referred to as "ear tipping". This method is a national standard for identifying sterilized feral cats from managed colonies. It enables easy identification once the cat is released and prevents the same cat from being re-captured at a later date and having needless surgery. It can also save a cat's life if animal control authorities recognize it
While under anesthetic for neutering, feral cats have 1/'4 inch of the left ear cropped. It is referred to as "ear tipping". This method is a national standard for identifying sterilized feral cats from managed colonies. It enables easy identification once the cat is released and prevents the same cat from being re-captured at a later date and having needless surgery. It can also save a cat's life if animal control authorities recognize it
I just wanted to but in & say that, that looks like a lot less than what I've seen on the cats here in Milwaukee. We had a cat at our shelter that had been part of a TNR colony one of our donors has, & he had a lot more than that gone & the guy had asked them not to take as much as they normally do. The kitties name was Bubba & he's in a home now & is a super sweet cat!!!
Sorry to hijack the thread.
Sorry to hijack the thread.
The short answer is no. The long answer is that they tried but nothing else works. Tattoos can't be read from a distance and can be impossible to see on a black cat (remember that these are cats you can't touch and generally can't approach). Additionally, tattoo equipment is expensive and very difficult to properly sterilize which would put the cats at risk for communicable diseases. (That's why you can't donate blood for a year after getting a tattoo.) Ear tags fall off and get infected, plus putting in an ear tag is not much different for the cat than eartipping and there is also the issue of expense and extra equipment. Microchips are useful because of the information they can contain but you can't tell a cat is microchipped without a scanner, so they are only useful in addition to, no in place of, an eartip. Some people do other things too...I know of a vet who shaves the cats' tails...apparently common sense isn't so common, because anyone with an ounce of common sense should see that this won't work because the fur will grow right back!
So eartipping is the universal sign for a sterilized and vaccinated feral cat. It's done under anesthesia while the cat is being s/n, takes just a few seconds and requires just a hemostat and a blade or surgical scissors (very important since finances are a major concern for all TNR operations), and is minimally painful. It is a sign that is permanent and easily identifiable even from a distance, which are the two criteria for an effective means of identifying a TNR'ed feral cat.
Since many animal control agencies now recognize that an eartip means the cat is sterilized and cared for, it literally is now lifesaving. And for the cat, an extra minor procedure means she won't ever be re-trapped and unnecessarily subjected to surgery to look for the ovaries that were removed long ago. I have seen a good number of female cats undergo unnecessary surgery because no one knew they were spayed, and this is definitely something that one must avoid.
Standard is 1 cm but it really is variable. I personally prefer a larger eartip because I want to be able to see it from some distance even at night.Originally Posted by Rang_27
I just wanted to but in & say that, that looks like a lot less than what I've seen on the cats here in Milwaukee. We had a cat at our shelter that had been part of a TNR colony one of our donors has, & he had a lot more than that gone & the guy had asked them not to take as much as they normally do. The kitties name was Bubba & he's in a home now & is a super sweet cat!!!
Sorry to hijack the thread.
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I understand the need to mark them, but it just seemed a little mean. I guess it is the only way, at least for now. Thanks for the info!
I think mean is more these cats were not taken care of until someone had the heart to fix/feed/and watch over them. A little ear-tip while under anesthesia is nothing compared to what they have been going through before then. Probably worse happens when they get in a fight over a female or territory than the ear-tipped. Also, if the ear wasn't tipped they may go through another needless surgery. It's nice to know you have enough compassion to think this is mean, but what you need to look at is the over all picture.Originally Posted by joecool
I understand the need to mark them, but it just seemed a little mean. I guess it is the only way, at least for now. Thanks for the info!
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I suppose it is the only way. It is certainly a clear mark for others helping.
Are the only cats that are TNRed the un-adoptable ones?
And the purpose of returning the fixed cats is to keep new ones from taking the space, correct?
It is a good solution to the feral problem, but more people need to do it. When i am older, i will certainly try to help.
The biggest reason there are so many ferals is that there are people that just let their unfixed cats roam totally freely.
I have neighbors with an unneutered tom that they have had since he was a kitten. He lives only outdoors, and is two years old. They say "it doesn't cause a problem we can see."
Are the only cats that are TNRed the un-adoptable ones?
And the purpose of returning the fixed cats is to keep new ones from taking the space, correct?
It is a good solution to the feral problem, but more people need to do it. When i am older, i will certainly try to help.
The biggest reason there are so many ferals is that there are people that just let their unfixed cats roam totally freely.
I have neighbors with an unneutered tom that they have had since he was a kitten. He lives only outdoors, and is two years old. They say "it doesn't cause a problem we can see."
Usually TNR are for those unadoptable or nowhere else to go. TNR is for those that manage a colony by fixing, feeding and watering. The main purpose for return is putting them back in their familiar environment and then caring for them. Relocating is not a good choice unless the ferals environment is dangerous or being destroyed. Relocation takes many steps to have the cats become familiar with the territory. Sounds like your neighbors need some good ole education on why to spay/neuter!Originally Posted by joecool
Are the only cats that are TNRed the un-adoptable ones?
And the purpose of returning the fixed cats is to keep new ones from taking the space, correct?
I have neighbors with an unneutered tom that they have had since he was a kitten. He lives only outdoors, and is two years old. They say "it doesn't cause a problem we can see."
