Everything There Is To Know About Cat Microchipping
What Are Microchip IDs, And Why Does My Cat Need One?
Collar ID tags are a wonderful line of defense for lost cat, but collar ID tags can also become physically separated from your pet. However, microchipping cats ensures that they can be properly and quickly identified by a veterinarian or animal shelter. We strongly believe in the value that microchips bring to the cause of lost cats. Therefore, we want to provide you with insight and education about microchipping cats that will help you make an informed decision as to whether or not a microchipping is right for your feline friend.
Is The Cat Microchipping Procedure Dangerous?
Cat microchipping is considered very safe. It is a sterile, rice sized device, implanted in between the shoulder blades. This procedure does not harm the cat and it lasts forever.
As with any medical procedure, there is always a risk of side effects. These include:
It is important to note that side effects have occurred in a very small portion of cats, and are considered very rare compared to the tens of millions of cats who have received microchips. When it comes to microchips, the potential rewards far outweigh potential risks.
Will A Microchip Tell Me My Cats Location?
It is important to understand that a pet microchip is not a GPS device providing real time tracking capabilities. Rather, a cat microchip is a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) device. Unlike a GPS device, a cat microchip doesn't require power, and it is activated by an animal shelter or veterinarian waving an RFID scanner across a cat's body where the microchip is embedded. The scanner activates an identification number, which is linked in a database to your ownership information.
Once the veterinarian or shelter get the chip's number, as well as the information about the company that made the chip, they will contact that company to find the cat's owner.
Now the important part: Registration!
An RFID chip itself is useless if your registration is not submitted and then kept current. Do not hesitate to ask your veterinarian any questions about the registration process, in order to ensure your beloved feline friend can be accurately identified with his or her pet microchip. Once registered and the microchip is scanned, your pet can be found from the information on the chip. When the RFID scanner picks up the chip, the chip only provides an identification number that correlates to the chip's manufacturer. That number is called into the pet recovery service, and you will be contacted by that service using the contact information on file. This is why it is essential to make sure your registration information is accurate.
Why Does My Cat Need A Microchip When He Already Wears A Collar With Tags?
It is a great idea to invest in a collar ID tag for your cat. Collar ID tags are the first line of defense in locating and identifying a lost animal. For example, if a neighbor finds you lost cat, they will not likely have a microchip scanner and will simply rely on the collar ID tag. However, microchipping cats is the second and in some ways most important line of defense for your cat. This is because microchipping cats ensures that your pet's identification is never lost, stolen, removed or compromised.
