Mindful Monday — Should You Tattoo Your Cat?

Thirty years ago this concept would be scoffed at big time. Tattoos on people were even a bit shocking. Only service men and wild women had tattoos—and most of the women hid there’s from view. I was surprised nearly forty-five years ago when I happened to see a small tattoo showing at a pool party on a woman I’d known for a while. She was already fifty at the time. Now…well, now everyone and their sister and mother and grandmother wear less than discrete tattoos.

You see tattoos on your banker, waitress, nurse, minister, and real investment counselor.  Airline attendants, police officers, neighbors, old friends, even your adult grandchildren have tattoos. But did you know that it’s becoming commonplace to tattoo your cat?

Back in the day I knew horses with tattooed ears. This was done to protect a white horse or a horse with white ears from sun damage and possible amputation. I’ve known of white cats that are allowed outside having tattooed ears as well. But there’s a new type of tattoo and a new reason for tattooing cats and it’s a really good idea.

Think about it, have you ever seen a cat with a clipped ear? Veterinarians working with feral cats that are going to be returned to their colony will clip the tip of an ear indicating that the cat has been spayed or neutered. But what about our household pets? Have you ever adopted an adult cat and you have no idea whether she has been spayed? I have. Once, I took a cat in to have her spayed and thankfully her spay scar was fresh enough that it was noticeable and the veterinarian stopped the surgery before starting. For an older cat, however, the scar might have healed so completely that it wouldn’t be noticeable.

So veterinarians are now giving female cats a free tattoo after spaying. It’s okay, it’s below the bikini line—in fact, right along the incision line.

Sure, you know whether or not you had your kitty spayed. But what if you can no longer take care of her and she ends up in a shelter or she gets away from you, is picked up by someone else, wanders too far from home and gets lost? There are many scenarios that occur every day. So if, any of these things were to happen and you aren’t around to inform her new person that she has been spayed, a veterinarian can look into the fur or shave a small section of fur and see whether or not the incision area has been tattooed.

Good idea? I do not have a tattoo and I would not be inclined to get one for my cat. However, I’d appreciate the spay-line tattoo in order to protect her from going under the knife. Wouldn’t you?