No caring and compassionate pet owner likes the thought of their beloved animal becoming lost. It is for this reason that for many years, we have relied on collars and tags with our personal information on being placed around their neck, so that we can be contacted if our lost furbaby is then found. While this method of identification has been successful for a long time, technology has enabled the creation of a new, innovative and much more reliable way of tying our personal details to our pet – microchipping.
Pet microchipping is a simple but effective process that involves placing your personal details on a secure database that is controlled by the microchip provider. Your details are assigned a unique reference number, and it is this number that is placed on to a microchip that is the size of a grain of rice and implanted into the skin on your cat’s back, between her shoulder blades. If your cat becomes lost, a veterinarian or shelter worker with access to an RFID scanner can scan her body. The unique reference number will appear on the scanner, enabling the finder to contact the microchip provider and get your contact details so that you can be contacted.
Microchipping is a highly beneficial tool for all pet owners, regardless of how old their furbaby is. However, there are a few reasons why you should make microchipping your senior cat a priority.
Your older cat may become lost
If your cat has previously spent a lot of time outdoors, you probably expect her to know the local neighborhood very well. However, as cats age it isn’t just their physical health that deteriorates. Your feline’s brain may also be undergoing cognitive changes that affect things like balance, coordination and even memory. For this reason, somewhere that was once familiar may suddenly seem completely different, enabling your kitty to get lost even in an area that she knows inside out. This could make it difficult for her to return home. However, if you have her microchipped and she is found, she can be successfully returned to you.
Pet microchipping is more reliable than other forms of identification
While collars and tags are still a good secondary form of identification, they can be tampered with if someone so wishes to claim your kitty for themselves. Tags also have a habit of falling off or becoming snagged on branches, fences and other outdoor items when your cat is roaming around. If this happens and your cat isn’t microchipped, whoever finds her will have absolutely no way of knowing who she belongs to. This means that you might never be reunited with your cat – a situation which doesn’t bear thinking about.
If the worst happens, you can still grieve for your pet
It is a sad fact that many older cats who go missing pass away before they can be reunited with their owner. In many cases this is simply because her senior body is simply not up to withstanding many hours, days or weeks without the creature comforts of home and extended spells of cold weather, periods without food or fresh water, or injuries due to not being as spritely as she once was, can all put her life in danger. While no cat owner wants to think about their pet crossing the rainbow bridge, if your lost kitty does pass away while she is lost or roaming the neighborhood, if she is found she can still be scanned, and you can be contacted. By knowing what has happened to her and potentially having the opportunity to reclaim her body and celebrate her life properly, it can help immensely with the grieving process.
If you have any questions about pet microchipping, or would like more information about the importance of microchipping for senior cats, please do not hesitate to contact us here at Soundside Animal Hospital, Navarre, FL.
