Community cats are cats who live outdoors, feral (wild) OR stray (friendly).
Their home is where you found them, if you notice one of their ears is tipped.
What is an "Ear Tip"?
Ear-tipping is a universally accepted method of identifying community cats who have been fixed (spayed/neutered), vaccinated against rabies, and returned to their outdoor home. This ear tip signifies someone, or some people, are caring for this cat. This also means this cat can no longer reproduce and is not contributing to the overpopulation problem we currently face.
Why should a cat be ear-tipped?
Have you ever taken a cat you found outside to be fixed, only to find out it already was? Ever wonder if that cat you keep seeing is a creator of kittens you keep finding? The ear-tip is a safe and effective way to identify a cat who has been fixed and vaccinated. This could save the cat (and you) a lot of stress, plus save the cat's life! From a safe distance, anyone can see the cat has been trapped and seen by a vet. This also helps the volunteer who manages the cat population near you, to see if any new cats appear. The volunteer can then trap and fix the newcomer so there's no new(born) comers!
Does ear-tipping hurt the cat?
Not at all. Ear-tipping is safely performed by a licensed veterinarian while the cat is anesthetized during their spay/neuter surgery. Only a small portion (3/8in for adult cats or 1/4in for kittens) is removed in sterile conditions and sealed to ensure safe healing. Where the tip of the ear was removed will not need any extra attention after surgery, as there will be little to no bleeding.
Should my cat be ear-tipped?
If you take care of an outdoor cat, then you should absolutely choose to get them ear-tipped. This prevents the cat from being held indoors, whether it be in a well-meaning finder's home or a stressful shelter environment, and away from their caretaker. Most cats will act fractious if trapped and/or handled by a stranger in a scary place. This could cause the cat to suffer undue stress in a quarantine situation for a fear response, or even worse....euthanized.
Will this make my cat look ugly?
We've never seen anything more beautiful