Microchipping?

I brought my 2 kittens in this morning to have them neutered and the vet tech offered to insert a microchip while they were under.
I have not done much research on the microchip so opted to not have it done until I'm more familiar with the cons of it.
Have any of you heard about any cons with it? I'm concerned of long term effects, if there have ever been any documented. I also don't want to be feeling this lump every time I pet them. Although the tech did assure me I would not feel it.
Please, any info you know about microchipping would be greatly appreciated. The cost is nominal, so I would totally do it if I find there are not any significant cons associated with the microchip.

Thanks!!

I don't have any of my pets microchipped. But not for medical reasons, for personal reasons.

I should have done this before I posted! But I just noticed a previous posting about microchipping!

Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

I don't have any of my pets microchipped. But not for medical reasons, for personal reasons.

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Same here, the word 'microchip' is not in my dictionary.

There is really only one real question to ask yourself about microchipping.

If your pet gets lost are you willing to do whatever it takes to increase the chances of your pet returning home to you?

If the answer is yes, then go for it. If not, don't.

My dog has been microchipped for 7 years. He seems pretty darn good.

I can tell you the THOUSANDS of people I have met who are looking for their missing cat who "wished" they had microchipped their pet. But by the time they are lost, it too late.

85% of my lost pet reports that come thru the shelter are INDOOR cats.

It's really something to think about. I know a lady who had been missing her dog for a year and a half whose dog finally landed at a shelter. It was one of the happiest reunions I had ever seen. It was only possible because of a microchip. She told me it was the best 40 bucks she ever spent.

I reunite at LEAST one pet a day with an owner because of a microchip implant.


There is nothing worse than not knowing where the pet you love is. Nothing

Well I've owned a lot of dogs/cats from childhood up. And only in one case was a dog taken from our yard and stolen. None of the rest were ever lost/stolen.

And only in one case was a dog taken from our yard and stolen. None of the rest were ever lost/stolen.

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It only has to happen once.

Is your house insured? My house insured, and nothing has ever happened to it. Should I just call my insurance company and tell them to stop it? lol... That wouldn't be wise, would it?

No one plans on losing their animals.
That's my whole point.

I just don't walk around saying this stuff because it feels good. I say it because I work in an evironment where I see missing animals everyday. I also see the ones who tell me "they have never lost an animal before".

You know this woman I reunited with her dog. Her dog was stolen from her as well. Her dog was missing for a year and a half before Millie came through that door. She didn't lose her dog, her dog was stolen just like yours. She got her dog back, did you?

Like I say it only takes once, and by that time...It just might be too late.

Originally Posted by Breal76

No one plans on losing their animals.

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I've had all my past cats chipped, greater chance of getting them back if they do go missing. Current cats I had no choice as it's law in the state I got them from, but I would have done it anyway

My cats were microchipped almost 13 years ago, my dog 4 years ago, and all are fine.

My cats are indoor-only, but I've had various cats escape at various times, for different reasons: Once, while I was away for the day, the landlord came and stomped around on the roof of my stand-alone apartment building and scared one of my cats so badly that she tore out the window screen and hid under a house half a block away. Another time, the landlord accidentally let one out. I've also heard of cats getting out due to fires, break-ins, and natural disasters.

I read the recent headlines about the suggestions that there might be a connection between microchips and cancer with great concern - but then I saw this mention about it in the Little Big Cat newsletter: http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.ph...how=volume5no6
(scroll down the page) that made me feel much better about it.

hth

Well the dog was stolen a long time ago, many years before the computers were commonplaced - so there was no "microchip".

But I've owned many dogs/cats since and don't feel that its necessary to microchip my pets. Yes it "only takes one time", but I'm not overly concerned that they will be stolen/lost. The odds are in my favor that its NOT gonna happen.

Its your choice to either do it or not

Current cats I had no choice as it's law in the state I got them from, but I would have done it anyway

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I am curious, did you get them in Australia? If so I knew I liked Australia for a reason..lol..

(sidenote:Currently opening a savings account so I can take a trip there in 2 years..Life dream )

Its your choice to either do it or not

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Exactly, which is why I choose to do anything to increase the chances of my pets being returned to me if they go missing. I feel good about that. I would like to say I have never lost an animal. Ever. Never even got one stolen. I guess when you see it every day the way I do, I know the truth of the harsh reality that is out there.

Originally Posted by Breal76

I am curious, did you get them in Australia?

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Yes I did, it's not law in all states, though I hope it will become so.

Good luck with your saving

I've just had my two new kittens chipped (while being neutered)... I haven't even picked them up from the vet's yet.

I don't think that I will regret doing it, but, it was a lot more expensive than I thougth it woudl be. My vet only uses them "home again plus" chip, which they charge $39 for the chip and then $14.99 for the service/registration, with $9.99 for second animal registration. That's ~$110 for getting two pets chipped (eek). I had thought that it'd be more around $65 for getting both done. I guess cost can vary widely depending on the company and where you have them chipped at.

That said, I don't think that I will regret having them chipped "just in case". My rescue cat, Toby, was already chipped when I got him from the shelter, but his chip is a different company.

I have had 2 cats in the past (before the kittens and Toby) and both of them escaped at one time or another. We managed to find them in our yard (never had to put an ad in the paper, etc.) but, I think that the kittens, being young and spunky, might explore farther if they got lost and so, we'd have a harder time finding them.

Just my 2 cents,
Art

I just got mine home yesterday from being neutered. I will do the microchipping with their next visit. I just couldn't fork out that much cash at this time. For some reason, my vet seems to be on the high side for pricing where I live. But they are great, so it's worth the few extra bucks.
My vet does charge $75 each cat to be microchipped and I have to spend another $10 for a one time activation. So they do charge a lot, but something I can have done with their next set of rabies vaccinations.

Well....I said they were going to chip them while neutering them. BUT, they forgot to!! I thought the bill looked a little "light" and then I saw that there was no mention of chipping them and that I didn't feel a chip in them either. Oh well.
I guess I'll just have to wait for next year as well (when they go in for shots again).

At least I can save up some cash for it...

I think that my vet is about average priced for my area, but they are ~5 minutes away and seem to know what they are doing and care about the animals, which can sometimes be hard to find (from what I hear on this board).

Art

Mine are both microchipped. Most vets here will offer it at the same time as neutering (charmingly referred to as 'snip and chip' ), but if you get a purebred it will usually have already been microchipped when the breeder got the second lot of kitten vaccinations done, it's part of the 'kitten pack' that the vast majority of breeders offer. One of the good things here in the UK is that microchipping is standardised, so all readers will read all brands of chip, you don't have to worry that if your cat is turned in at a shelter that they will have a different scanner. I think it's worth it for the peace of mind - it doesn't guarantee that they will turn up again if lost or stolen, but if they do show up somewhere, there is the proof that it is yours, and you will get a phone call very soon after your pet is found.

Shop around too, there are a lot of low cost clinics that do it for cheap. The place I am at held a microchip clinic for $25. I don't go to the vets for this stuff. They have vet techs come in to local shelters and the dog pound and microchip and so it is a lot cheaper.

Here in Hawaii, microchips for animals are only $5 at our local shelter! So really there's no reason for us Hawaii residents not to microchip our pets. I was actually shocked when my New Zealand breeder told me that it cost my burmese kitten $50 to microchip him! I should have just gotten him microchipped in Hawaii instead! My burmilla, which is arriving from New Zealand next month, will be microchipped with my local vet, and they charge $15 flat. Weird how that the prices are so much more expensive elsewhere. I thought it would be the other way around, being Hawaii and all!

Thanks! I never even thought about checking out the shelters and pet stores for a microchip clinic. I guess I just thought it would be safest to have it done at the vet clinic, but either way, there is a trained tech who would be inserting it.
I'm just shocked that they charge $75 per cat for a microchip when I hear that they charge a lot less for it other places. I love my vet clinic, but sometimes their fees are outrageous. My babies are worth every penny though

Originally Posted by kicken74

Thanks! I never even thought about checking out the shelters and pet stores for a microchip clinic. I guess I just thought it would be safest to have it done at the vet clinic, but either way, there is a trained tech who would be inserting it.
I'm just shocked that they charge $75 per cat for a microchip when I hear that they charge a lot less for it other places. I love my vet clinic, but sometimes their fees are outrageous. My babies are worth every penny though

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It would be really hard to screw up a microchip insertion. I just microchiped 5 cats yesterday and i am not even a vet tech. It is very simple. I learned it and did it yesterday with no one around to show me either. If you can get it for cheap, do it.