← FAQ

If you spot a cat with the tip of its ear cut off (either straight across or in a V-shape), it means someone has already caught it and taken it to the vet to be spayed/neutered. This practice is called “ear-tipping” and is done while the cat is anesthetized for their spay/neuter.

Although it may seem painful, ear-tipping cats is actually one of the most efficient ways for rescuers to visually identify cats that have already been fixed (and therefore don’t need to be caught) from those that are still unaltered and need to be trapped for TNR.

In Japan, ear-tipped cats are called “sakura neko” because the little V-shaped notch in their ear makes it look like a sakura petal!