Chipping a cat: what cat owners should know
Microchipping serves the same purpose for cats as it does for dogs, which is to mark the animal and ensure clear identification of its identity.
In the following, we will explain how microchipping works for cats and provide you with other important information regarding microchipping your cat.
How Microchipping Works for Cats
If you want to microchip your cat, you need to visit a veterinarian. The veterinarian will implant a microchip into your cat. To facilitate easy scanning, it is common to place the microchip in the back of the cat's neck.
The procedure itself is quick and does not cause significant pain to your cat. The microchip is about the size of a grain of rice and can be inserted under the skin with a syringe. This process is similar to a vaccination, and you can usually leave the veterinary practice with your cat within a few minutes.
How much does microchipping a cat cost?
Veterinarians must adhere to the official fee schedule when billing for their services. Depending on the individual effort involved, different fees apply. However, even with a resistant cat, microchipping should not cost much more than 50 euros.
Our Tip for a Stress-free Veterinary Visit
Naturally, your cat may not be thrilled when it realizes that you're taking it to the vet. Some cats can even panic and resist being placed in their transport carrier.
To ensure a relaxed car ride, you should familiarize your cat with the transport carrier. By not only using it when a vet visit is imminent, you can increase your cat's acceptance of the carrier.
Additionally, supplementing with Shiimun Calm can be helpful when microchipping your cat at the vet. This natural supplement contains carefully selected ingredients such as green tea and shiitake mushrooms.
While giving Shiimun Calm won't turn the veterinarian into your feline's best friend, it can help your cat relax and cope with the visit to the veterinary practice with a little less stress.
What Information is Stored on the Cat's Microchip
The microchip inserted by the veterinarian into your cat contains only a 15-digit identification number. No additional information is stored on it, and it does not enable GPS tracking.
If necessary, the microchip can be read with a special scanner. Since each number is unique, mix-ups are avoided, and identifying your cat is easily possible when needed.
Why Microchipping is Beneficial for Cats
Especially for outdoor cats, there is always a chance that they may not return home and instead find temporary accommodation with someone else or be taken to an animal shelter.
If the lost cat is microchipped, its identity can be easily determined by a veterinarian, allowing the owner to be identified promptly and the cat to be returned.
This is true if the cat is listed in a corresponding database with the owner's information.
Registering Microchipped Cats
Since the microchip only contains an identification number, simply microchipping your cat is not sufficient. To enable the owner to be identified in case of emergency, you must register yourself or your cat in a special database.
You can find a suitable database, for example, at Tasso or on the Findefix website operated by the German Animal Welfare Federation. There are no registration fees for both platforms.
When Microchipping a Cat is Mandatory
In general, it is up to you whether you want to microchip your cat or not. However, the situation changes if you plan to travel with your cat to another country.
For the cross-border transport of cats, the European Union requires the accompanying EU pet passport. To obtain this passport, your cat needs to be microchipped for clear identification.
Alternatives to Microchipping Cats
Microchipping is not the only way to determine a cat's identity when needed. Other options include small tattoos in the ear or attaching a collar to the cat with the necessary information.
Tattoos were quite common until a few years ago. However, they have the major drawback of fading over time and becoming increasingly illegible. Furthermore, there is no guarantee that each number is unique when tattooed.
We generally advise against using cat collars. The risk of your cat getting caught on something during its ventures and potentially strangling itself is very high.
Microchipping is clearly superior to both tattoos and collars. The microchip lasts a lifetime, allows for unambiguous identification, and does not pose any impairment or risk of injury to your cat in everyday life.
Microchipping a Cat: Our Conclusion
As you can see, microchipping your cat is not a big deal. The procedure is quick, and complications are not expected. Especially when your cat goes missing, the microchip combined with registration in one of the mentioned databases can be a lifesaver.
Therefore, even for strictly indoor cats, it can be useful to microchip your cat and be prepared for any situation.
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