When I was a kid, our pets got lost frequently.
We had cats.
We lived in San Francisco.
Our cats didn’t just get lost.
Our cats went on adventures.
Their adventures were dangerous and expensive. Most amazing was that they lived through those adventures, though not always in one piece.
One cat was caught by a neighbor’s dog as she jumped to the top of a fence between yards. The cat’s tail was pulled so hard that the nerves were severed. Our veterinarian had to amputate most of the tail, leaving only a short stub.
Another cat was lost for days. (I was a kid, so it seemed like weeks.) Our other cat found the lost sibling, trapped in the basement of a small apartment building with a yard that adjoined ours. I remember very clearly how he “told” us where to look. I remember climbing over the fence and peering in through the window. I remember hearing that meow.
Our most adventurous cat took a ride across San Francisco in the engine of our neighbor’s car, sat there all day while our neighbor worked at his restaurant in Chinatown, and rode home again to be found by me when I took the garbage out that night. He was unharmed except for some minor cuts on his side from the fan belt he had been wedged next to … and a lot of grease.
Our cats then were free-roaming.
They did not wear any identification.
They might be lost, or injured, or trapped, and if we did not find them ourselves, it’s unlikely they would ever have been returned home to us.
That’s changed in the last 20 years for pet owners.
The invention and popularity of the microchip for pet identification has made it possible for lost pets to be returned home—sometimes even years later—many of them within hours.
What is a microchip?
A microchip is an identifying integrated circuit that uses passive Radio Frequency Identification technology. The chip is about the size of a grain of rice. It is implanted under the skin of the animal, usually on the back of the neck. The chip can be read by a hand-held scanner. Information on the chip will refer back to one of many registries that keep contact information for the pet’s owner.
Your lost pet’s microchip might be scanned by an animal control officer, by a veterinarian, or at an animal shelter. If you have kept your information current, whoever has found your lost pet will be able to contact you immediately. Very often, lost pets in our community are returned to their homes without spending any time in the animal shelter.
How much does a microchip cost?
The standard rate in our area seems to be about $35 per implant, but animal shelters and rescue groups often offer microchip clinics at which the price is lower. You may also find discounts for chipping more than one pet at a time. Updating information with the registry is usually free.
Microchipping your pet is an expense that will seem minor if that pet is ever lost!
What about pets that are stolen or pets that are lost, then “kept” by someone who is not their owner? Microchips provide the most critical proof of who owns a pet. Not only can they act as a deterrent to pet theft, they also can also ensure that, in a questionable situation, a pet is returned to its legal owner.
What pets can be microchipped?
Dogs, cats, ferrets, rabbits, mice, turtles, snakes, lizards, toads, frogs, rare fish, and larger birds, including cockatiels and other parrots. Ask your veterinarian if your pet is eligible.
Are microchips necessary for indoor pets?
Yes! Indoor pets can accidentally become outdoor pets. And free-roaming pets, like ours in San Francisco, should definitely be chipped.
A microchip is the best insurance you can buy for the return of your lost pet.
