Articles : Identification for Your Cat
     The Importance of Identification for Your Pet

 

 


For pet owners, there is nothing worse than the thought of losing your beloved companion. Unfamiliar surroundings, natural disasters, a forgotten open door are just a handful of ways your friend can become lost and does not know where to go or how to get home. There is a way to minimize this risk, and if the unthinkable happens, a way to get them back home to you! Understanding how your pet can get and stay lost helps in minimizing this risk.

Adventure-seeking Roaming

Cats  are naturally curious animals. They will follow other animals and unfamiliar scents into the unknown, causing them to become lost. Boredom can also cause a cat to wander away from home. For more information on curing cat boredom click here.
    Mating urges in un-neutered males could also result in your pet ending up lost. Make sure your cats are always spayed and neutered.

                Fear-induced Flight
    Loud noises, cars and other animals can cause pets to run away and find a place to hide. As a result, they can become lost. Harnesses, leashes and seat belts are important to use with animals who are not used to the outdoors, are in unfamiliar surroundings, or while traveling.

    Natural disasters

    Floods, earthquakes, and fires can cause families to be separated from each other and from their pets. Visit our Articles page for more information on how to prepare yourself and your pet in case of an emergency. In some cases, pets are found and not returned to owners because they are unable to be identified. Having a way to identify your pet will reduce the likelihood of your pet being unintentionally re-homed. PLEASE ensure your pet has some form permanent identification such as a microchip or tattoos, or both.


    Methods of Identification
     
    Microchip

    The microchip is the most reliable and effective way to identify your pet. This is a small chip, about the size of a grain of rice, implanted beneath the skin and between the shoulder blades of your pet. This kind of identification is effective worldwide. If you move, you just need to update your contact information with the microchip company. The company depends on which microchip your clinic uses.     AVID is the most widely used company.

     

    Tattoo
     
    Tatoos are another permanent way to identify a pet as having a home. Tattoos have been in practice for decades as a way to identify your pet by placing a code on the inside of the right ear linking them back to the clinic that did the tattoo. The important thing to remember is that you will need to update your information when you move with that clinic so they will be able to direct whoever finds your pet to the right person. Tattoos are meant to last the life of your cat, and although they can become faded or smudged over the years, are still very recommended.

     

     Collar

    Having a collar on your pet is a great, low cost way to make sure they can be identified when lost. Ensuring it is a quick release collar is important as animals have a tendency to traverse in small areas where a collar could become caught. Pet ID tags can be engraved with your contact information and attached to collars as a way to bring your animal home safely. This method is best used in conjunction with a permanent form of ID like microchips or tattoos