Microchip ?

I'm considering getting Oliver microchipped over spring break.... I understand the basics of it and all and have seen them injected (I'm sure he'll hate me and Dr. Kathy for about 10 minutes for it, but oh well...) my questions are:

1. Those of you who've had this done for your animals, about how much did you pay? (Just wanna get a general idea - my vet can usually swing a bit of a discount for me on things)

2. Are you able to edit/change the information contained on the microchip (or microchip database, etc...)? I'm in college right now and wont be living here forever and I believe my parents will be moving in the relatively near future, so I wouldn't wanna have that information permanently on his microchip and have to have it like surgically removed and another implanted or something...

3. Also, I doubt it, but are you able to feel the chip at all when massaging kitty's skin? I know it's only about the size of a grain of rice, but you can feel those when you spill a few on the kitchen floor, haha.... is it injected just sub-q or IM or what?

Thanks y'all... I love my at-home vet and we're good friends and I'm always in the office longer than normal just catching up with her (my current university is her alma mater), haha, so I figured I'd try to get some general ideas here first... I'll probably take him in to see her whether I'm microchipping or not, just because I trust her more than any other vet I've met, so I'll probably just have her do a once over (He went to his vet up here at school in October and I was told all was ok - I'm just an over-protective mama cat )

the injection is IM.
Sometimes you can feel it for a few days, then scar tissue grows around it.

The actual chip only contains a unique number.
The number on the chip is then linked to your information in a database with the service that goes with the chip.
For AVID chips (my dog has this) the recovery service is Home Again, for AKC chips (which our cats have) the service is CAR (Companion Animal Recovery).

My cats chips were free and their info is registered with their vet.
My dog's chip was $45 and a one time registration fee of $12.

You can in fact contact your registration service for address changes etc. though I an mot sure if there is another fee involved, I do not think so though.

Luna and Sophie were both microchipped when I adopted them from the shelter. I haven't felt the chips while petting them at all. I registered their information online at the Home Again site, and paid a $17 fee for activating the chip. Since the info is online, I can change it by logging in to my account at any time.

I actually just got monkey microchiped today, lol. I paid about $60 total, but they did the registration for me too. They gave me a card with his ID number on it, and scanned him once for me before I left the vet's office to show me that it was the same number. I dont think it really matters what information you have, as long as you have the corresponding ID number, you should be good to go.

And so far, I haven't been able to feel it. They told me that it moves around in his body, so that you shouldn't be able to feel it. It's inbetween the layer of skin and something, and it stays there. The only time I was able to feel it was RIGHT after they did it, and they had to point it out to me. I've been looking for it since then and haven't been able to find it, I was trying to find it to show my husband.

-Jade

In regards to moving and changing the microchip details, I had to pay a one off fee of £10 and that allows me to change my address (or ownership) as many times as I like - I can do this online or by post.

Oh yeah, you can feel the microchip - if you're looking for it! When you're generallt petting them, you won't even notice!

I have just recently had Jaz and Jake 'chipped'.

It only cost me £20 (special deal) for each including the registration with Petlog. A week to 10 days later i received confirmation of the registration details, there is no limit or charge to the number of times you can change the address info on record.

They also have green tags for their collars which lets people know that they are chipped.

I could feel Jakes for a while, but not anymore. I could not feel Jazs' chip at all. Jake did not seem to mind it at all when it was put in and my vet showed how it works with the scanner.

Although my cats are now 11 and 12 its is never too late to get them tagged.
(oh, Izzy that one was smelly you little rat!)
I do think it is a good idea if your cats are outdoors, perhaps even if they are indoor cats as well, just in case

Thanks everyone! Oliver's indoor only, but I always worry and he travels between home and school with me and sometimes goes to the kitty sitter's and even though he's always harnessed and leashed and attached securely to the inside of his carrier when we go outside, I always feel like there's a chance.... Guess I'm just a worried mama cat tryin to keep track of her kitten, haha

Puppy is chipped, and it seems pretty easy to change the info. Right now, we're trying to get his info transfered. Home Again sent a letter to his registered owners, so we're waiting for a response. Apparently if they don't respond within a certain time period, Home Again will assume that they have given him up and will re-register him to me. They took down multiple phone number and addresses, so they have my home, work and cell numbers, my work and home addresses, and they have my parents home and work numbers and their home address. Everything can be changed online.

Buddha (dog) is chipped with Avid. I've had to change his info twice so far and they did it for me over the phone. The first time it was a $15 charge to re-register his chip from the foster home to my address. The second time I had to change my mother's phone number (she's listed as an alternative contact) and they did that for free.

Also please go with a well known microchip company - like Avid or HomeAgain. Some companies have gotten into the microchipping business and are using chips that universal scanners cant read and do not seem to be in a rush to get their scanners into shelters. People who have their pets chipped by these companies are having their pets put down at shelters because the shelter can't read the chip and therefore can't identify the owner. Avid and HomeAgain chips can be read by universal scanners which most, if not all, shelters have due to Avid and HomeAgain running programs to get the scanners into shelters for free or at reduced cost.

For more info, see:

http://www.thecatconnection.com/news...article01.html

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=1997

http://www.doggienews.com/2004_12_01_archive.htm

http://www.myhealthycat.com/Banfield-microchip.html

A microchip is not too expensive - $50-$75, which includes registration. It's a SQ injection. The needle is pretty large which is a little scary looking but it's over in a few seconds and no more painful than a blood draw.

I would strongly recommend the Home Again brand if possible because it stays in one place under the skin. Avid chips have a tendency to migrate around the body which makes them tougher to find with a scanner.

You can definitely change the information that's stored in the computer at any time.

Overall, a microchip is a relatively small investment but it pays off big-time in the peace of mind it provides you. If you can afford it, I'd definitely go for it.

I'm quite positive I'm gonna get it done... especially since I want Dr. Kathy to give him a once-over anyway just for my own piece of mind... just wanted to get as much info as possible beforehand - like I said, I'm in there chatting with her for quite awhile as it is and I know she'll wanna catch up with me on the happenings in State College since I havent seen her since winter break, haha... feel free to keep info/opinions coming!