Microchipping your Kitty

Microchipping is one of the best ways to protect your kitty should it become lost!

Accidents happen. Kittys sometimes get out, and they may not come when you call them. Microchipping gives your cat a permanent identity.

MCA started microchipping all cats prior to adoption some time ago. If you have pets that aren't microchipped yet, however, please read the following article from our Fall/Winter 2005 Newsletter:

"LOST CAT - REWARD"
This headline never fails to cause a twinge of sympathy in a cat lover. Nothing can describe the emotions racing through the mind of someone who has lost a cat: fear that you'll never see her again; fear that you will see her again—dead; hope that any minute now you'll hear that familiar "meow" at the door. The fact is we live in earthquake country. Whether your cat accidentally gets out, or disappears because of a disaster, your cat needs an identity. Several times a month MCA gets heartbreaking emails from desperate owners who are searching everywhere for their lost kitties. Remember, your kitty depends on you to protect it.

When Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, people were forced to evacuate, leaving 250,000 dogs and cats behind. After the hurricane, one humane shelter rescued 247 pets. Out of the 247 pets, only ONE of the lost dogs had a microchip ID implant. Max was quickly reunited with his owner. All these pets could have been identified and reunited with their owners if they, too, had received an ID microchip. Before the next disaster strikes, your cat needs an identity.

Referred to as "immunizing against homelessness," the microchipping procedure is no more painful than a vaccination. The entire process, including filling out the paperwork, takes less than five minutes with affordable costs ranging from $10 to $50. A tiny capsule, about the size of a grain of rice, is injected under the skin of your cat where it remains for the rest of its life. Veterinarians and shelters have scanners that read the digital number on the chip inside the capsule. If your cat is picked up and is microchipped, a quick phone call to the microchip company that has your contact information will get your kitty safely home. Microchipping gives your kitty a permanent identity.

Collars break; i.d. tags fall off and get lost, but with microchipping, your kitty is protected for life. Ask your veterinarian about placing a microchip in your cat today. Shelters and pet supply stores also often offer microchipping services. You can't put your arms around a memory.