Microchipping ferals???

Has anybody ever microchipped a feral cat? I was thinking it would be helpful in case someone in town were to catch one of my feral cats since most are put down if taken to animal shelters since they are not friendly to people. A microchip would probably save them since you would be contacted when the cat is first brought in. Has anybody ever had a feral cat microchipped and do you think the vet could do this while they are being spayed or neutered. I would think it wouldn't be a problem to put in a microchip when the cat is knocked out for the surgery because the microchip is so small. I would think that the microchip would also give you some kind of ownership over the cat in case any kind of dispute over ownership were to arise, such as your neighbor wants animal control to euthanize the cat and you want it to live. You would win custody just by saying it is my cat I even have it microchipped. I would think the benefits of a microchip would be great. Any other thoughts???

Many shelters can't scan a feral cat - they get REALLY aggressive when you put them in a cage. Honestly - there's been some truly feral cats we haven't scanned for microchips here.

I'd go for ear-tipping or tattoos.

That is not good at all. Well there goes that idea.

I've had my feral microchipped, just in case. Her ear is also tipped (done at the time she was spayed), and she's become tame enough over the years for me to put a breakaway collar & ID tag on her as well.

Is this feral you're talking about completely wild, or can you handle it? If there's any way you could add a visible means of ID such as a safety collar or a tattoo in addition to the microchip, that would increase the odds in her favor. The problem with microchipping is that it's not a visible means of ID, and unfortunately not all shelters will scan every cat, though ideally they would sedate the cat to scan it if need be (even tame pet cats can be out of control in a fear-inducing situation like a shelter or vet clinic). Microchipping isn't very expensive, and if you're fond of the cat I think it would be a good idea to go ahead & get it done.

I think the microchipping idea comes under the heading "can't hurt", though I don't know how many shelters would think to scan for one in a feral cat. But you never know.

I've had my feral kitties ear-notched, which I like better than ear-tipping.
Some vets get a little carried away and take too much of the ear when tipping. The notch keeps the basic ear intact; it's just what it says, a notch of about 1/4" width about halfway down the outside of the right ear.

It's easily recognizable and tells the shelter the cat is a cared-for feral.

Thank you for the advice. Four of the five are very feral, they run sometimes when spotted or if you get about 10 feet away. One however is an approximately 10 week old kitten that would make a great pet if we can catch it. We can get about 3 feet away, about a foot away when it is eating so we have a chance.