I was curious as to what people thought about those micro chips they can put into your cat. What info does it have? The only thing I know, is that if your cat has one, and it gets picked up be a shelter, they can scan for it, and call you about your cat. It sound handy, but I don't have any experience with them. My cat doesn't have one, and she never goes far when outside. Many cats stay in, so I suppose that it wouldn't be nesseccary then. I was just wondering if anyone had experience with them.
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Micro chips
- Thread starter kitty queen
- Start Date
Zoey is microchipped.. she was like that when I got her from the shelter. When I adopted her they changed the information in their computer to put in my name and address/phone number etc. for the microchip. So if she ever got out and ended up back at the humane society they could just scan her and get all my information to give me a call or whatever. I believe it holds name/address/phonenumber/cats name/if they had their shots/etc.
Zoey is an indoor cat but I think its a good idea anyway.
Zoey is an indoor cat but I think its a good idea anyway.
We use AKCs HomeAgain system.
The chip stores a serial number. The shelter calls a 800 number manned 24hrs a day and the operator looks up the number and gives the caller info on the onwner, vet, medical conditions, alternate contact, etc.
There are diferent systems, the "instal" of the chip is done as an injection with a BIG-??? needle. Normally it is best to have it done during a surgery (spay/neuter) but seeing as we do it during the kitten shots the kittens are not thrilled with the injection.
We've seen costs from $36-$40 for install, and $12.50 to register your info.
Sicy - make sure the chip is there (your vet should be able to scan) and update your info, if the shelter installed they may not have registered the chip to you. If it is a HomeAgain chip you can get more info at HomeAgain a product of AKC Companion Animal Recovery. See those dog lovers are good for somethig.
The chip stores a serial number. The shelter calls a 800 number manned 24hrs a day and the operator looks up the number and gives the caller info on the onwner, vet, medical conditions, alternate contact, etc.
There are diferent systems, the "instal" of the chip is done as an injection with a BIG-??? needle. Normally it is best to have it done during a surgery (spay/neuter) but seeing as we do it during the kitten shots the kittens are not thrilled with the injection.
We've seen costs from $36-$40 for install, and $12.50 to register your info.
Sicy - make sure the chip is there (your vet should be able to scan) and update your info, if the shelter installed they may not have registered the chip to you. If it is a HomeAgain chip you can get more info at HomeAgain a product of AKC Companion Animal Recovery. See those dog lovers are good for somethig.
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All of our pets are microchipped. Ours have the Avid chip implanted by our veterinarian, but they all work the same way. Most of the shelters have a universal reader that will read any brand's serial numbers. Mine all did OK with the "install" - weren't thrilled about it, understandably, but got over it as soon as the needle was pulled out.
Thanks for the "update your info" comment, Iceman! Just reminded me I need to do that!
Thanks for the "update your info" comment, Iceman! Just reminded me I need to do that!
I had JC microchipped three weeks ago. He didn't even flinch. It cost a little over $15, including registration by my vet in an international registry. I registered his "serial number" under my name, address, etc. in the two remaining German registries, which do not charge for the service and have 24-hour hotlines. Two of the registries (the international one, ifta, and one national one, TASSO) sent me identity cards for Jamie with the relevant information. There's always a chance that a cat will disappear, e.g. in the event of a natural catastrophe, so I feel better having him chipped. His ears were tattooed when he was neutered, but the tattoos have faded considerably.
Well I dunno but I watched them change the information on the computer from theirs to mine on Zoey before I took her home.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #7
Thanks for the replies. My cat is normally inside, and goes out if we are home, and the door is open. Do you think I should get a chip? I'm not very worried about her going somewhere, but you never can know about a disaster. We don't have many in CA, but I guess, there could always be something happening. We don't get floods or tornadoes, or hurricanes, we do get earthquakes, and there is the possibility of fire, but I don't think she will run off. What do you guys think? Should I get one?
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I did for my indoor cats. You never know what might happen...home repair, fire, burglary, a guest holds the door open too long....
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #9
Alright, I'll talk to my mom about getting one next time we go in.
I think you should. It's inexpensive and could re-unite you with your cat should anything crazy happen.
How would they know if your cat is microchipped or not? I got mine from the shelter and they didnt mention the cats having it. Is it completely safe for them? Im thinking about getting it for them at our first vet check. Doesnt sound very expensive which is good.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #12
How long does the registration last? Is it a one time thing, or do you have to keep paying for it? If you have to pay a monthly fee, it could really add up. If we just pay once, then I'll ask my mom for us to do it. I"m just curious because my cat was gone for 9.5 hours last week. She had been in the yard, but the door got closed, so she couldn't get back in when the sprinklers went on. I was so worried (not to mention mad at my parents). We kept hearing her meow, but couldn't find her. She had gotten up to my neighbor's roof (somehow) and couldn't find her way back down. She hid in this crevice on the roof. She was so scared, I don't think she knew how she got up there. Now I want to get a collar and tag, but my mom doesn't want one with a bell on it, and she doesn't think that Patches will like a collar to begin with. I'm not sure what to do. I try to keep her in now, but if we are home and the sliding glass door is open, then she can go out. I don't want to loose her. She spooks easily.
It's a one time deal.. there is no monthly fee!
MamaKat.. you could take her to the shelter and have them scan her to see, and if not you could get one right there. It's just a shot in the neck (I think) its super small and just takes a sec.
MamaKat.. you could take her to the shelter and have them scan her to see, and if not you could get one right there. It's just a shot in the neck (I think) its super small and just takes a sec.
I've been thinking about getting Tibby and Corkscrew microchipped. Corkscrew especially because he like to try to dart out the door, he doesn't get out very often but I'm always so scared when he does manage to escape.
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Most animal shelters & vets have scanners so they can check your cat if you're not sure it has a chip, or if you find a cat & want to know if it might have one.
To get the chips, it cost me $25 to implant (when done in office w/another procedure like shots or a dental-if it's by itself some places charge an office visit too). If I remember correctly, my registration choice was a one-time fee of $40 for up to 7 pets, or $15 per pet.
To get the chips, it cost me $25 to implant (when done in office w/another procedure like shots or a dental-if it's by itself some places charge an office visit too). If I remember correctly, my registration choice was a one-time fee of $40 for up to 7 pets, or $15 per pet.
I go back and forth on the microchip issue. I have heard it said that there are several different kinds and if the scanner used doesn't read the kind of chip the cat is wearing, it might as well not be wearing it. Then there's the question of whether the person finding the cat will think to check for that ID.
However!...That does not mean I am against them, nor does it mean I think a cat can go without ID. Even an indoor cat -- perhaps especially an indoor cat -- needs ID. As has been noted, the fact that you don't intend the cat to go out doesn't mean that it won't happen -- natural disasters, burglaries, fire, careless handling of a door by someone who doesn't know better -- and we all know how unpredictable a spooked kitty is.
The other thing to say about ID for indoor cats is that, should the cat get out, it is completely unaccustomed to fending for itself, finding its way home, etc, so needs human help much more urgently than an outdoor cat. That, coupled with the fact that the neighbours may very well not know this critter by sight, means ID is critical.
I think even if you microchip or tattoo or both, you should also collar and tag, so that there is readily visible ID. Even if it doesn't carry enough info for an immediate reunion, it tells the person who finds the cat that this critter belongs somewhere, someone is waiting for him to come home, and there may be more info in the form of tattoo or chip to help the process. It may also help your kitty to calm down, even a little, if the person can see a name on the tag and call him by it.
As for whether the cat likes a collar, that's just something it has to get used to. I had a royal battle with Fawn over collars: I went six rounds with her, a total of four collars, and she sprang, shrugged off, or actually unbuckled -- I kid you not! -- all of them, except the last, a puppy collar that had a long end that could be taped down. Once she wore that for a couple of months, she got used to the fact that she was going to wear a collar. Period. Then when the warm weather came and doors were going to be open, we went back to the safety collar and she's been fine ever since. I think it became a game to her, because more than once, I came home to find her in an unusually come-hither pose, showing off her bare neck, and then 12 hours or so later the offending object would appear in some place like right beside my bed or in a doorway that we pass through constantly. Bottom Line: it's just a battle of wills, and harder on the human than the cat!
As for bells, I used to bell my cats, thought I was protecting the little birdies. Then I read an article -- don't remember where, but it seemed credible at the time -- making two points: [1] a dedicated feline hunter has no difficulty keeping a silly bell quiet; [2] on the other hand, if the cat is being pursued by an enemy, it does not have time to think about keeping a bell quiet -- so, far from protecting the little birdies, it may very well put the cat in danger by adding audible clues to its position and direction of flight. I don't bell my cats any more.
Well! That's rather longer than I intended, but it's one of my soapbox issues -- sorry about that!
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My understanding of the chip readers is that most shelters have a "universal reader" that can read all types of chips, and if they do not have the universal reader it will detect the presence of the chip but not be able to read it.
I agree that a collar & ID tag are very important...but please be certain if your cat wears a collar that it is a safety collar designed for cats - a cat can be strangled by an ordinary collar if it catches on anything, and I'd much rather keep replacing a collar than have my cat die that way. My indoor cats' ID tags have the regular info on the front, then on the back it says "if I'm outside, I'm lost!" so anyone who sees my cat outside knows he/she is an indoor cat & needs to be returned home.
Also, when I got my pets microchipped, I was given a tag to put on their collars with the microchip number and the company's toll-free telephone number.
*if I can get away with a plug here, Princess Purr's Beastie Band collars are soft and lightweight, and are well tolerated by my cats. I bought some from her on Ebay before I joined this forum and found her here.
I agree that a collar & ID tag are very important...but please be certain if your cat wears a collar that it is a safety collar designed for cats - a cat can be strangled by an ordinary collar if it catches on anything, and I'd much rather keep replacing a collar than have my cat die that way. My indoor cats' ID tags have the regular info on the front, then on the back it says "if I'm outside, I'm lost!" so anyone who sees my cat outside knows he/she is an indoor cat & needs to be returned home.
Also, when I got my pets microchipped, I was given a tag to put on their collars with the microchip number and the company's toll-free telephone number.
*if I can get away with a plug here, Princess Purr's Beastie Band collars are soft and lightweight, and are well tolerated by my cats. I bought some from her on Ebay before I joined this forum and found her here.
Over here the international registration, which you pay for once, is for twenty years. It may sound a bit paranoid, but in addition to being chipped and tattooed, JC wears a breakaway, reflecting collar bearing a tag with his name, address, and telephone number, plus a tag with his transponder number and the rescue hotline number.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #19
Thanks for all the replies. I'll look around on the internet to see how much it cost here. I guess it varies depending upon where you get it done. I'll have it done at my vet (assuming he does it). I had another question. Is there any risk of an infection? If it had bacteria on it, couldn't it cause big problems? My mom thought of that when I asked her. I just want to know all side to this. My mom didn't think Patches would like a collar, so I was trying to find alternate means of rescue. I thought because you can't even tell it's there that she would go for it. All the collars that are sold near me have bells on them. If I bought one of those, how do you take the bell off? I still want a collar.
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The vet uses a sterile needle to implant the microchip, and cleans the cat's skin prior to insertion of the needle, so there isn't much risk of infection.
As for the collars, I always used to just take the bells off...you can use wire cutters to do it if you need to, but most are attached with a piece of metal you can twist off w/ pliers. The beastie bands don't have bells, just a little metal-ringed hole you where you put your tag's ring.
As for the collars, I always used to just take the bells off...you can use wire cutters to do it if you need to, but most are attached with a piece of metal you can twist off w/ pliers. The beastie bands don't have bells, just a little metal-ringed hole you where you put your tag's ring.
