Scan for Microchips in Cats on “Check the Chip Day” – August 15th

BETHESDA, Md. – Aug. 15, 2018 – Alley Cat Allies reminds cat owners and caregivers that they can improve their chances to find a lost cat and save her life by making sure she is microchipped. “Check the Chip Day,” on Wednesday, Aug. 15, is a great day for owners and caregivers to remind themselves about this important step.

“Microchips are simple, inexpensive and they save cats’ lives,” said Becky Robinson, president and founder of Alley Cat Allies. “Companion cats and community cats alike are much more likely to be reunited with their families and colonies when microchips are embedded.”

Alley Cat Allies offers microchip guidelines through its Plan to Scan campaign. The first step is to give cats a microchip. A microchip is about the size of a grain of rice and is implanted by a veterinarian through a quick injection beneath the cats’ skin between the shoulder blades. In addition to a collar and tag, this will serve as a permanent ID tag, each cat with their own unique number. Microchipping is often included as part of the process with Trap-Neuter-Return, the humane and effective approach to outdoor cat populations.

An important next step is to register the microchip with contact information for the owner or caregiver. This information needs to be current so that whoever finds the cat can make contact. Though some microchip companies may charge fees, free databases such as the Found Animals Registry are available as well.

Finally, shelters, veterinarians, and animal rescue organizations should plan to scan for microchips to save cats’ lives and prevent them from being killed. These people are trusted to reunite lost or stray cats with their caregivers, so it is critical they ensure that scanning for microchips is standard practice. Alley Cat Allies has developed protocols and procedures to help.