A microchip is recommended by the RSPCA as an effective way of permanently linking pets to their owners, increasing the chances of them being reunited if the animal is lost, stolen or strays.
Thousands of pets are lost every year and many are never reunited with their owners. The RSPCA believes that the best way to ensure a lost cat is found is to have it microchipped - implanted with a special microchip tag.
How does microchipping work?
Once a cat has been microchipped it has its own unique code number. The owner's details and the code are put on to the national Petlog database. If a lost or stolen cat is found, the code will be revealed by passing a scanner over the microchip. Then it's just a matter of matching the code with the Petlog database.
How can microchipping help find my cat?
The Petlog scheme provides a fast, fool-proof way of identifying your cat, wherever it is found. The RSPCA, as well as many other animal welfare organisations, and vets, have scanners which can read the microchip's details.
Is microchipping easy to do?
Yes, it's as simple as an injection. A tiny microchip - the size of a grain of rice - is painlessly inserted under the animal's skin. Once in, the microchip cannot move or be seen, but can be read by the scanner.
How much does it cost?
Prices vary but a one-off payment of about £20 will get your cat on to the Petlog database for life. Owner details can be quickly amended if an address changes.
Where can I have my cat microchipped?
Contact your local RSPCA branch or veterinary surgeon for advice.
My cat's got a collar tag so why should it be microchipped?
Cats can sometimes work free of their collars, they can break, identification tags fall off and get lost. Microchips identify your pet permanently and harmlessly.
Why should I worry about losing my cat?
Cats are prone to wandering. Even the most reliable and well-cared for cat can get lost or stolen. Home-loving pets are most at risk because they don't know their way around the local area.
Is the microchip system well established?
More than 450,000 animals have been microchipped in the past five years in the UK alone. It is the RSPCA's policy to microchip all cats it rehomes. For more information about joining Petlog, telephone 0870 606 6751.
|
