Cat Microchipping - All About Cat Microchipping and Why It's Important

Dr. Casie Lew Advanced Animal Care

So, with a lot of kitties like Mushu... And once I release him, he's going to jump off the table. They're very independent. Sometimes, they're so curious to the outside world that once you open the door they bolt out, and a microchip would allow us to be able to recognize him and find him had he gotten lost somewhere much further away from the house.

Nope. Mushu here is actually microchipped, and the microchip is a very small device that goes in between the shoulder blades. Sometimes kitties, you don't even feel them, on dogs as well.

A microchip has a specific number that helps to identify the kitties that are microchipped. Each microchip has a specific and different number, and we use a scanner just like this one that detects the microchip and is able to help us recognize that number. That number then is typically registered to either you or that specific individual who owns the animal. And there you have it.

Sometimes when kitties get lost they tend to go into the bushes and hide, and their collar can get snagged in it. If their collar comes off, then there's no way to actually identify them. So, I do think that microchip is one of the best ways to identify.

It's not a GPS tracker, unfortunately, as much as I wish that it would be. But what happens is if someone finds your kitty, they're able to check that microchip, check who it belongs to, and then return your kitty back to you. Or at least that's the hope.

Most veterinary offices have a scanner just like this in order to check for a microchip in your kitty, and animal shelters as well as some rescues might have scanners just like this. I would definitely call around if you needed someone to find it for you.

Each microchip specifically belongs to a different company. So, here at Advance Animal Care, we recognize HomeAgain chips. What that means is that even if your microchip number belongs to a different company, then we would actually be able to identify that for you. You can go ahead and call the company in order to find out and reattach your information to your kitty's microchip.

If you still have other questions and you'd like to reach out to us, you can call us directly at (859) 202-3641, you can email us, or you can reach out on Facebook. But please do reach out, and we'll get back to you as fast as we can.