Having a microchip for your cat is a great way to keep track of your pet. A microchip is a small electronic chip that has a unique reference number that can be read by special scanners at animal shelters and veterinary offices. It is similar to a vaccination for your pet. It is painless and quick, and provides a long-term form of identification that can help to reunite you with your pet.
Microchips are about the size of a grain of rice, and they are placed underneath the skin of your cat between the shoulder blades. This means that the chip will not be affected by vital organs, and it will last your pet’s entire lifetime. When a cat is microchipped, it has a unique 15-digit code that identifies the owner of the cat. The microchip is registered in the pet recovery database, which contains contact information for the owner. When the pet is lost, the microchip provider can check the number on the chip with the help of an RFID scanner, and contact the owner directly. This makes it possible to reunite your cat with you, even if it is lost for a long time.
The procedure to implant a microchip for your cat is fairly simple and does not require any anesthesia. A 12- to 15-gauge hypodermic needle is used, and the chip is injected into the tissue. This is done without any discomfort for your pet, and the procedure lasts only a few seconds.
Most cats are microchipped at a young age, usually between eight and twelve weeks of age. Some pet owners choose to have their cats microchipped when they are neutered or spayed. This will ensure that the chip is registered in the registry, and it will not be able to be migrated to another cat. In fact, it is very likely that your cat will be microchipped when you adopt it from a shelter.
You will need to register the chip with the appropriate agency. The microchip provider will provide you with information about the registration process, and it is important to make sure that you provide accurate information about your pet. If you do not, the microchip will not work. There are a few companies that charge a fee to update the information on the chip, but some provide the first change free.
If you have a microchip for your cat, you should update the contact information in the microchip as often as possible. It is not uncommon for a pet to lose its ID or collar. Having a microchip for your pet is a great way to prevent your cat from hanging out in the street or from being a stray. When your cat is microchipped, the information that is recorded in the database will be available to any veterinarian who tries to find the owner of the cat. This will help to prevent any disputes over ownership.
It is also a good idea to register your cat with an online registry. The information in the registry includes the owner’s name and phone number. This will ensure that the information is up to date, and will ensure that the system works when your cat gets lost.
