The Benefits of Getting Your Cat Microchipped

Gayle Bentham, an animal lover and writer who works for SureFlap, a UK based company that sells microchip cat flaps in Europe, the USA, and Canada, shares the benefits of getting your cat microchipped . . .

There are many benefits to getting your cat microchipped and the procedure can be done relatively cheaply, and painlessly, at your local veterinary clinic.

What Is A Microchip?

If you’re not familiar with it, a microchip is very small (slightly larger than a grain of rice) ‘chip’ that gets embedded under the skin of your cat. That chip – a tiny wafer of semiconducting material used to make an integrated circuit – gets embedded under the skin of your cat.

Using a syringe, a vet can quickly insert a microchip beneath the skin of your cat around its shoulder blades. Microchipping a cat costs around $30-$50 in the US, and around £20-£30 in the UK.

Two Great Benefits

1. Identification: Microchipping a cat is one of the best ways to identify your pet. While collars and tags work well also, these can sometimes get lost, a microchip can’t. Some cats dislike wearing collars – they can cause discomfort and become snagged easily. Even if your cat doesn’t mind wearing a collar there is still the chance that it can become lost.

Once your cat is microchipped, his unique ID number will be stored on a registry. Each microchip number is unique so there is no chance of your cat being misidentified. If you live in the USA, you will need to register your microchip. There are many differing microchip registries in the States, so the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) has devised the Universal Pet Microchip Lookup Tool to pool them all in one place.

In the UK, you will be asked to fill out a form at the vets after your cat has been microchipped. This will be sent off to be registered on a microchipping database. If you move, don’t forget to update the address associated with your cat’s microchip.

Many lost cats are reunited with their owners thanks to their microchips. In fact, cats are 20 times more likely to be reunited if they have a microchip. Vets and animal shelters have devices that read microchips, allowing them to instantly identify the cat’s owners.

2. Letting Your Cat In & Out Safely: Another advantage of having your cat microchipped is that your cat will be able to use a microchip cat door. Microchip cat doors work by reading your cat’s existing microchip and unlocking the kitty door only for your pet.

Many cat owners have the problem of neighboring cats entering their homes through their cat flaps. Foxes and raccoons can also gain access to your house in the same way. By installing a microchip cat flap, you can banish unwanted visitors from your home for good!

Cat owners that install a microchip cat flap often notice that they are saving money on cat food because neighboring cats are no longer eating their pet’s food. With a microchip cat flap installed, cats also become more relaxed because they are no longer being terrorized by unwanted visitors.

As you can see, microchipping your cat has a couple great benefits. It is a cost effective, efficient way of identifying your cat and it can be used to take advantage of current cat flap technology. For more information about microchipping your cat, contact your vet for details!