I can't look at my cat :(

[catburglar]

My pet cat disappeared on Thursday. I've a microchip catflap for him and his sister so they're always coming and going. He arrived back on Saturday and he'd been neutered and ear tipped. I'm really upset. I don't know how I can cope with seeing him looking like that for the next 20 years. I don't know who did it or why. I feel like I'm being really shallow but I feel like he's been mutilated. He's perfectly happy himself at least.

[Lllot5]

Oh op that’s a chunk they’ve taken off his ear I’d be a bit miffed too actually.
I was thinking you were overreacting and should have had him done yourself, but that is a chunk of ear.
Any way it’s done now hope he’s ok and I think you’re doing a grand job for all the strays in your area.

[fivedogstofeed]

Gosh that really is an unnecessarily brutal ear tipping you weren't exaggerating OP

[fivedogstofeed]

But OP do you understand now that he was hanging out with loads of other cats and has certainly fathered kittens?

[SemperIdem]

Wow that’s a lot of ear they’ve cut off. I won’t bother repeating what most other posters have said re neutering him yourself. I can see why you were shocked by it though.

Does it need to be obvious from 30 foot away that a feral cat has been neutered? That can be the only reason they took so much off.

Glad your boy is otherwise in good health.

[2020BetterBeBetter]

Does it need to be obvious from 30 foot away that a feral cat has been neutered?

The more obvious, the better and it needs to be clear it’s not a rip from a fight - otherwise someone will go to the whole effort of capturing the cat again whereas they are usually left alone if clearly a neutered feral on the basis they can’t impregnate another cat, are less likely to fight and are also often under the eye of someone who watches out for ferals (hence the fact they’ve been castrated).

[penberrh]

I hope you thanked her for doing the job you should have done yourself and apologised profusely for being an irresponsible owner.

[Elbeagle]

I’m sorry your poor cat has had so much ear taken off.
However can’t you see that your cat has more than likely fathered many many kittens while he has been roaming round intact? Kittens born in the spring are being conceived now!

[thecatneuterer]

@IncrediblySadToo It isn't a 'horrible thing to deliberately do to a cat'. It doesn't hurt or affect the cat in any way and it is the only way to deal with stray and feral cat colonies. It's essential for the rescue to know which cats are done and which aren't, and to be able to see from a distance as trapping has to be done from some distance away from the cats. If it weren't done colonies couldn't be controlled and the cat suffering as a result would be very real, as opposed to the imaginary suffering from ear-tipping.

[thecatneuterer]

And to those people laughing at the idea of a kitten season - of course there is such a thing and you make yourself look ill-informed by laughing at the idea. Yes of course it isn't impossible for cats to get pregnant between October and early January, but it's much less likely than at other times of the year.

And I think the OP is being given a hard time. She is actively trying to help the stray cat population. And if funds really are stretched and a choice has to be made between neutering a stray female or your own pet male, then from a cat welfare point of view the female has to be the priority.

The only thing she has 'done wrong' is to feel annoyed rather than grateful that it's been done for her and to be bothered by the ear tipping. It's a slightly strange reaction but overall I think she deserves praise rather than criticism for what she is doing.

[thecatneuterer]

Does it need to be obvious from 30 foot away that a feral cat has been neutered?

Yes, trapping is often done from that sort of distance. I use binoculars too, but it's still often difficult to be sure of an ear tip. The more obvious the better. I can put often upwards of 40 hours into trying to trap a single cat. If, when I eventually get that cat, I find it does in fact have an ear tip but it just wasn't very clear, then I have wasted all that time that could have gone into helping other cats.

[penberrh]

There didn’t need to be any priority decision made if the unneutered pet had been kept indoors. That’s very very basic stuff.

[thecatneuterer]

However can’t you see that your cat has more than likely fathered many many kittens while he has been roaming round intact? Kittens born in the spring are being conceived now!

Whether the OP's cat had been neutered or not the same amount of kittens would have been born. There will always be unneutered toms around whenever there is a female in heat. They can come from half a mile away. It is very important to neuter male cats for the health and welfare of the particular cat, but unless every single male cat in a huge radius is done then it won't have any impact on the stray/feral cat population.

[Wolfiefan]

The other thing she has done wrong is to let a male out unneutered to fight and spray and produce kittens. Keep it in until neutered. And TBH if you can’t afford neutering then maybe it’s not the right time to take on a new pet. The OP got this cat in 2018. And still couldn’t afford it??

[thecatneuterer]

Wolfie - ah, since 2018? I hadn't clocked that. Yes, that really isn't excusable.

[Wolfiefan]

We have two tortie terrors @thecatneuterer and wouldn’t dare let them out for a second before neutered and chipped. Always a door shut between them and the outside! Far too many unwanted kittens being born.