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difficult without the ability to tell quickly from adistance which cats were fixed and which were not.Recognizing a permanent mark is necessary, somenew caretakers look for a less invasive approach.Alternatives attempted have included ear-tagging,tattooing, photographs and relying on the caretaker’smemory. All these methods suffer serious flaws andare inadequate substitutes for an eartip.Ear-tagging involves insertion of a metal clip intothe side of the ear. The method was designed forcertain farm animals and is not suitable for freeroamingcats. The tags are small and hard to observeat a distance. They can get caught in thin branches orthe like and cause the ear to tear and become infected.Despite their “permanent” design, sometimes the tagsfall off and then no mark is left to identify the cat asneutered.photo: Nancy SantoPietroTattooing the inner ear has also been tried. The problem is you can’t see the tattoofrom a distance. The cat has to be trapped and even then, sedation might be necessarybefore the inner ear can be examined. To be effective and prevent unnecessary trapping,a mark showing spay/neuter status must be visible while the cat is loose.Photos which record neutered cats are impractical because they’re only useful towhoever has a copy of them. If anyone besides the caretaker, like an animal controlofficer or another resident in the area, wants to know if the cats are fixed, there will be noway for them to tell. Even the caretaker in some colonies will not find photos that usefulif many of the cats have similar appearances, like if most are black or tabby. Photos canalso be lost or misplaced, leaving no record for future caretakers of the same colony.Relying on the caretaker’s memory is risky, even when the caretaker knows the catsextremely well. If the caretaker changes, there’s no record at all. Also, as with photos,there’s no visual cue for others.In the end, eartipping is the most efficient and effective method for marking sterilizedferal cats. If the procedure is done properly and care is taken not to remove more than1/4 inch of the tip, the cat’s appearance is not altered in a way that makes them lookunattractive. Cats with eartips who are found to be friendly after the procedure isperformed do not have trouble being placed in adoptive homes. Some owners even bragabout their new pet’s feral pedigree!It’s easier to see an eartip out in the field when you’re looking atthe cat from behind. Binoculars are very useful for this purpose.118