How do animals with fur get tattoos?

[321tumbler]

Maybe they get the tattoos when they're young so it becomes like a birthmark.

[Tam and Martin]

Maybe...

[Kitsune]

Maybe they get the tattoos when they're young so it becomes like a birthmark.

I love it!

I think that:

Maybe, and then they just paint the skin while it's burnt or something and it stays there, or maybe they're just normal tattoos that are visible through the fur because maybe their fur on their arms or face (those are really the only places the books said they were) really isn't all that thick

might have been what they would have done.

[Osu]

Maybe they shave the area for the tattoo, tattoo the skin, and when the fur grows back, it keeps the color of the tattoo.

Not exactly scientific, buuuut....

[Leatho Shellhound]

I am reading Taggerung right now and came across this in chapter 4.

"Sawney watched as the Seer painted the clan sign on the sleeping infants's face."

[Romsca]

Yeah, I remember that, but how would it stay?

[Leatho Shellhound]

Good Q.

[Tiria Wildlough]

I don't think she would have tattooed a baby. Too painful. He probably got the real tattoo when he was older.

[Romsca]

Yeah and they were just planning the tattoo or something

PS Taggerung was a he

[Leatho Shellhound]

Yeah and they were just planning the tattoo or something

PS Taggerung was a he

She was talking about the seer

[Romsca]

My bad 

[BloodGullet]

I agree with the shaving and then adding a tattoo, because even if the fur grows back, if its dark enough, it should show through, and/or if the fur is light enough.  Tigers are striped on their skin and that shows through.

[Cornflower MM]

TOPIC REVIVE!!! Anyway, my guess is that either the fur isn't thick, or it's just really short, and they paint it or something. In the Taggerung, That otter lady said that:
She put a tattoo on Skipper,
Took one of his tail,
AND got the marks off Deyna. Maybe that has something to do with it.

[Osu]

Hmm, perhaps there's some kind of permanent dye involved? A growing animal would have to have it repainted as he aged, but adults probably wouldn't need to repaint themselves if it were permanent. I'm thinking Ungatt's blue horde, they only ever dyed themselves once, didn't they?

On the other hand, the otter lady from Taggerung (Rukky Garge? Something like that?) not only removed Tagg's tattoos, but she got rid of his birthmark as well. Maybe she just dyed it the same color as the rest of his paw pad? The only surefire way I know of to get rid of a tattoo or birthmark is laser therapy, which obviously a Redwall critter would not have access to, and that blows my dye theory out of the water in that respect. It's a mystery!