If you have a pet you probably at one point thought or questioned about what you would do if they ran away or if they would get lost. Maybe you have already gone through the experience that your beloved fur-baby went missing. Certainly, it is a scary thing for all pet-owners and nobody wishes to go through that. But if you are still anxious about that idea and keep thinking about what if it will still happen at one point? What would you do to find your pet again? Well, you might want to consider microchipping your pet then.
Microchipping Pets… What is it?
Most people are probably already familiar with the process of implanting a microchip to their pets. The chip itself is very tiny. It is about the size of a grain of rice. It is linked to an identification number which can be usually scanned by a veterinarian, and sometimes also in shelters. The procedure is very simple actually. In the case of cats and dogs, the microchip is injected with the help of syringe and usually is placed under the skin between the shoulder plates. It only takes a few seconds and it’s just like getting a vaccine shot, but hurts a little more since the needle is, of course, thicker. After microchipping your pet it is very crucial to register the chip with a unique ID number which will also be linked to your personal contact information.
Do not confuse it with a GPS Tracker! It isn’t
Some people have this notion that a microchipped cat or dog can be tracked on a device, for example their mobile phone. But that is not the case at all and it actually works a bit differently. As mentioned above, the chip is linked to a specific ID which gives access to your personal data when it is scanned. The idea of these microchips is that if your furry friend goes missing and is found by someone, they can bring them to a vet’s office or shelter to check if they are chipped. If so, they can retrieve your information and contact you that your pet was found. So make sure and double check everything is correct when you register your pet!
Are there any side effects?
Almost anything can have side effects and even microchipping does have a few. But don’t worry… they are extremely rare fortunately. One problem could be that the chip may eventually dislocate from the injected point, or that a kind of nodule appears in the location. However, usually this should not happen. So it is important to make sure you get your pet microchipped by a trusted vet.
Do you think that microchipping pets makes sense? Would you have a chip implanted to your pet? Or did you already microchip them? Please comment your thoughts about this procedure or share your experience!
I definitely think microchipping your pets is worth it! I have a kitten that is about to get her chip and I did some research on it myself but also already have experience from my parents’ cats. Of course microchips for your pets aren’t the same as Apple’s Find My Friends or other tracking apps but they are still able to store valuable information, similar to how old school tags on dog collars would contain their address and the owner’s contact information. I once found a cat that was roaming around the streets, visible malnourished and I was hoping to reunite her with her owners through a microchip, which she sadly enough didn’t have. As a result, she was sent to a shelter where the owners found her about two weeks later through the shelter’s website. I think if the cat would have been reunited with her owner sooner so I’d definitely recommend a microchip 🙂
I also definitely agree with microchipping your pets! We have had several cats over the span of twenty years and these chips have come in handy multiple times. Even when our orange tabbby was hit by a car after he had been missing for a couple of days, we at least got to say goodbye and get some closure. I think more people should microchip their pets, it takes a single payment and the vet can do it relatively quickly. My current cat did not even realize what had happened when she got her chip. Great blog, thank you for writing about this topic!