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.

If you can’t afford to neuter/spay your cats, you shouldn’t have them.
At the very least, they stay indoors until they are done.
Kitten season 😳

This is a nuts thread, OP sounds a few sandwiches shot of a picnic.

Why spend time sorting other cats out when you can’t even afford to get your own cat done?

Why let a unneutered cat out to add to the kitten population?

Why have cats when you can’t afford to neuter them?

Why be mortified that someone else has neutered your cat when it needed doing anyway?

I can see why you are upset about the cats ears but the rest is bonkers.

I dont understand why OP didnt speak to the rescue, who was operating on all these strays. Or a charity that helps out when owners dont have the money.

Her other cat was spayed over 9 months ago. Surely she could have saved up, in that time.

@catburglar

I don't know who did it or why

Maybe you should consider that that is exactly how other people might be feeling after you’ve taken their cats to get them neutered /ear tipped ?!

Your hypocrisy is astounding.

@Shmithecat2

I think it’s a horrible thing to deliberately do to a cat.

How many cats do you have? Is the female one(s) spayed?
Its really not that expensive, you should have prioritised your own above going out collecting other cars, and assumedly you know the mothers of any kittens not the fathers, un neutured males often roam quite far, yours probably has before too, he has also probably been in scraps that's what un neutered males do too.
This is 100% your fault harsh or not you are to blame and I agree with the other posts that he's probably fathered half the kittens you are doing the right thing for!

You sound demented. If you have cats then they don’t go out if unneutered. You’ve had them both for months and months. This wasn’t a “can’t afford it before Christmas thing.” Wonder how many unwanted litters are a result of your male not being neutered??

Picklemepopcorn, thanks for understanding. Can't people see that unspayed female cats are more of a liability than toms? None of his littermates has got pregnant.

I don't know who took my cat. I don't see any other newly ear tipped cats outside. He returned so quickly, within a day, that he must have been dumped back where they found him. I don't mind that - I'm glad he's home. It's not possible to find homes for the feral cats around here. My boy could have been rehomed because he's tame and house trained, I'm glad they returned him.

They've taken more than half of his left ear. I will get used to it but I think I'm entitled to be pissed off. I would have loved some help dealing with the 10 to 15 feral cats but instead someone snatches my tame little pet. Whereas I went out and bought a trap and dealt with the most difficult ones.

No good deed goes unpunished, I suppose

@slipperywhensparticus

He’s beautiful, but he hasn’t had half his ear lobbed off by a ‘vet’

Erm no. Toms fight and spray and get females pregnant. No cat should be allowed out before being neutered. You’ve been completely irresponsible.

Can't people see that unspayed female cats are more of a liability than toms? None of his littermates has got pregnant.

How do you think the female cats get pregnant?

Not sure you should be originating Cate it animals.

Half his ear? Really?

It's also possible he lost part of his ear in a fight, was taken to the vets and they spayed him while he was there.

Your good deed was pointless. Because he was our making more kittens.

None of his littermates has got pregnant.

Because they were all neutered. You organises it.

It won't be kitten season for several months.

OK so roughly 2 months pregnancy, add another 4 weeks before any kittens are out and about, takes us to mid-April. Kittens don't appear instantly you know! .

You say you know the parentage of all these local strays/ferals, I just can't see how you could possibly know that as any tom will try with any female in season. And cats are one of the very few animals who can get pregnant from 2 different males in the same litter, so just because you may have seen one pair mating that doesn't mean that tom is the father, or the only father, of the litter.

@catburglar

Take some responsibility for goodness sake! No good deed? You're being a martyr when you've created this situation through inaction.

Your boy is home, give him a cuddle, feel bad for not sorting it yourself and for saying you don't know how you will be able to look at him for the rest of his life and move on.

Like you say, he's home with you instead of being rehomed. It isn't always everyone else's fault.

YasssKween

Don't get a pet you can't prioritise really. But you know that now. Stop being annoyed with everyone and just think ugh I wish I'd done that but it can't be helped now - and enjoy your lovely boy, he is gorgeous!

You are right and I'll get used to it. He's the most affectionate little sweetheart. It's good that he's neutered and I'll get used to his appearance. Annoyed with myself of course

Your cat may well be adorable but he is still a cat and all of his behaviour is determined by his hormones.

He has probably been spraying/ marking and has most likely contributed to the burgeoning stray population.

They do a little green tattoo on a nipple around here to show spay/ neuter status. Ear clipping seems a bit much.

Another thought. Possibly someone picked on YOUR cat because he was the one being a right pain with tom cat behaviors, as he may act differently when he's out & about than he does at home.

Second what a lot of others have said, if you'd prioritised your own Cat over the strays/ferals then this wouldn't have happened. Lesson learned there, it's not about 'no good deeds going unpunished' it's about prioritising, as a few PP's have said, cat's that haven't been spayed or neutered should be kept indoors as not only do they post a risk for unwanted litters, but they are at risk of a myriad of injuries/diseases the longer they go untreated.

As for 'kitten season' I honestly wasn't aware this was a thing as my female indoor cats (I have 4 in total) go into heat sporadically throughout the year, so at any point would be at risk of impregnation if they were allowed out. The only reason my girls haven't been spayed is due to birth defects (also the reason they're indoor cats).

I don't like tipping but I understand why some vets do this, so that others can identify on sight that the cat has been sorted and doesn't need to be recaptured. It's shit luck it happened, but at least he's home safe and healthy - i'd be happy rather than pissed off in your position.

So you prioritised stray cats over your actual pet that you let outside?

You're thinking can't be this backwards.

A female cat can get pregnant with one litter at once -approx 6 kittens. A male cat can I’m pregnant a ton of female cats - hundreds of kittens... plus fight etc.

How can you say the females are the priority?!

How can you justify in your own head letting your ’non neutered’ cat out to get the female cats pregnant then take a few of the kittens to the free vet service for neutering. You’d have been better to have asked them to do your one for free than all the ones he’s created.

I fail to see any logic in your thinking At All

Yes people are being harsh - mostly because if your attitude!

I'm really shocked and sad though

That others are doing what YOU have done.

Can you post a picture of him now please ?

@catburglar OP, you make sure stray cats are coming before yours when it comes to neutering/spaying them. It doesn't matter what your cat looks like, it's your baby! Appearances aren't everything, get a grip.

I get why you're annoyed, OP. Removing half an ear seems excessive- surely it impacts upon their hearing on that side?

I do think you're wrong about females being the bigger problem when it comes to unwanted kitten litters though. A female can have three litters a year, maximum, with an average of four kittens per litter- roughly 12 kittens a year. A male can have an unlimited number of progeny over the same time period- his only limitation is the number of female cats. Decreasing the number of fertile females by one removes about 12 unwanted potential kittens a year. Decreasing the number of fertile males by one could remove hundreds of unwanted potential kittens.

Re ear tipping: it isn't the nicest, but allows to see if a feral cat has been neutered without the stress of handling a wild cat. This is the safest thing for both cats and humans. It means time and resource is not wasted on animals who have already been neutered.

"They do a little green tattoo on a nipple around here" - that's an option, but means the cat has to be caught and handled before a volunteer knows if the cat has been trapped/neutered before. Have you ever tried to look at a feral cats nipples? Particularly one with long or ungroomed hair -- I'm definitely not volunteering for that task!

TNR programmes are essential due to morons like the OP allowing entire males to roam. I wish they didn't have to trap and then ear tip these cats, but in areas with large feral/stray populations it is one of the best ways to ensure animal welfare and reduce populations.

IncrediblySadToo

He’s beautiful, but he hasn’t had half his ear lobbed off by a ‘vet’

You haven't a clue. It's not nice but it's a lot nicer than producing unwanted cats without food or shelter. And trapping the same cat multiple times is bad for the cat and for the trapper.

I'm in Ireland where cats don't get pregnant in the winter.