Feral Cat Deformities?

[Redcatcher]

Rather than go looking for a cat forum to join just to post once, I thought I would post here. I saw three feral cats out behind a Pet Smart at the edge of the woods and they all had their left ears missing! Is it a mutation or someone mutilating them? Why the same ear?

 

[MomtoSyd&Emma]

Maybe its the way the trap/neuter/ release program "marks" them in your area, ours just ear tips, and doesnt remove the whole ear the way you described though

 

[Redcatcher]

MomtoSyd&Emma :

Maybe its the way the trap/neuter/ release program "marks" them in your area, ours just ear tips, and doesnt remove the whole ear the way you described though

That may be it. I had no idea. These cats had very long and thick fur, like a Maine Coon cat or Persian cross, so it may have made their ears look much shorter.​

 

[my3chickens]

They ear tip in our area also when they TNR, trap neuter & release. Maybe they wanted to be sure everyone saw the ear tip so they cut extra off!!

 

[crtrlovr]

In all the TNR programs I've heard of, they remove the tip (I guess "tip" is a relative term. One man's "tip" may be another man's "half an ear") of the Left ear to mark that that individual has been neutered so they don't end up being hauled in twice.