What is an ear tip? Why do I need to ear tip a feral cat?
Ear tipping is the universal symbol to identify that an outdoor or free-roaming cat has been fixed. This involves clipping off, or tipping the top/4 inch of the cats left ear so that its straight across instead of coming up to a point. This is done while the cat is under anesthesia, is relatively painless for the cat, and it does not significantly alter the appearance or beauty of the cat. Since feral cats are wild, you cannot get close enough to them or pick them up to tell if they have been previously spayed or neutered. The ear tip allows anyone to recognize at a distance whether the cat has been fixed. It is a sign to your neighbors, other trappers and caregivers in the area, and to Animal Control officers that the cat has been fixed. When a cat with a tipped ear is trapped by the authorities, it will be released. Because of the benefits to the feral cat we have made ear tipping a mandatory part of our feral package.
