From what I've seen (admittedly, it's not a lot), Cat had little to no quality control. I've seen a lot of variations within the same model and year, including different types of shocks, tires, decal placement etc. I have a Duster MX that has Eliminator paint on the forks and frame, but the forks were definitely Duster MX and there's no tank mount tab.
I'd say that sticker on the recoil is original judging by the condition, but I would doubt it was something they did universally. Probably a 1-off from the new decal guy that day.