Is Microchipping Safe for Cats | Pros & Cons of Microchipping Cats
All pets need some identification, whether they are outdoor or indoor cats. Some indoor cats can get lost too while they wander off the garden or yard so that wearing an ID such as a tag, collar, or a microchip can increase the chances of finding a lost cat.
A microchip is said to be a tiny electrical chip fixed into a glass cylinder, and its size is about the size of a grain. It gets used as a means or sense of identification, read by a scanning machine.
This chip gets inserted into the underlined skin between each shoulder of the pet. The microchip gets implanted to enable the owner to identify the pet with a scan through the chip.
The inserted microchip contains detailed information concerning your cat; it is a standard procedure to add a chip to a pet; it is not toxic and doesn’t lead to any health issues or discomfort.
Veterinarians and other experts advise and recommend microchips for all cats. As a cat owner and you consider inserting a microchip to your cat, don’t you want to have full detailed information on microchipping safe for cats?
If you want to, then this article is all you need to know about microchipping, the risk involved, and the Pros and cons of microchipping your cat. Stream down to obtain this vital knowledge.
Why Cat Owners Microchip their Cats?
Pets get lost most of the time, and some of them get lost forever because their owners could not find them. It is why cat owners seem left with the option of microchipping their pets. It is a quick and straightforward process that helps pet owners reach out to their lost pets.
However, you may decide to microchip your cat to locate it whenever it gets lost. If your cat gets lost, it is scanned and gets back to you; microchips don’t fall out of your cat, it stays in there no matter what happens, unlike the often used tags and collars that pull off. The identification chip ensures your cat’s safety back home.
There are certain risks and benefits associated with the microchipping process that can make people have second thoughts of letting their cat go through it. Further through this article are the pros and cons of microchipping to have full information if microchipping is the best option for your cat.
How a Microchip is Planted?
If the question stuck your mind, it’s a good one to ask. A cat microchip is inserted or planted through a unique syringe injected into the underlined layer of the skin between the shoulder blades.
Its length is approximately 13mm, and the size of a rice grain, the implanting procedure takes only a few seconds and makes to stay inside the cat’s skin for an extended period.
Does my cat need a Microchip if it has a Collar or Tag?
Collar IDs and tags are great choices. It is the first ID a lost pet can get identified. If your cat strays off to the yard and off, a neighbor or passer can quickly look at the cat tag to help the lost cat get to its owner.
A microchip is simply an alternative and an effective one at that it is secured because the information and identification of your pet are never removed or stolen.
At What age is my Cat Safe for a Microchip?
Kittens, as young as four weeks, can implant a microchip. The age or size of a kitten does not determine the right time to implant a chip; instead, it is your kitten’s health status and stability.
Inserting a microchip is non-toxic, safe, and do not require anesthesia, but kittens younger than four weeks old are feeble and still require nursing and attention. Experts recommend inserting a microchip on a kitten when it is at least eight weeks old; this is a widely accepted and standard practice.
You can also feel the chip on your cat’s skin, depending on the size and weight of your cat. As your kitten grows into an adult, the chip can migrate from the inserted area to another skin part. The chip is added to the skin alone so that it will migrate to any vital organs.
What are the Pros and Cons of Microchipping a Cat?
In this section of this article, let’s check out the risks and benefits of inserting a microchip into your cat.
Pros
- Cat sellers or shelters microchip the cats before they set them up for adoption.
- Microchipping your cat is a simple process that takes little time to complete. It is easy to inject into the skin with just a simple injection.
- Inserting a microchip into your cat will not cause discomfort or stress to your cat, the pain of implanting a chip is almost that of taking a vaccination.
- Microchips can stay as long as 20 twenty years inside your cat. This duration is longer than the average lifespan of common pets, so you don’t have to change or buy and microchip.
- The microchip can contain the address that will help you locate your cat and includes details of medication and medical history. This information will help the vet take care of the cat and treat it accordingly.
Cons
- If your pet gets microchipped, everyone will beware of it, and if they are, they may not know what to do from there. If your cat is picked up by someone who does not understand that a microchipped pet is to take to a vet for scanning, they will not know what to do, and the whole process will be ineffective.
- Microchips can migrate while the cat grows, while a vet scans the cat for the microchip, the vet will discover that the chip is not on the shoulder blade area, sometimes, the vet will have to examine the full length of the cat, in some cases. The microchip may not seem found because the chip may have gone further into the skin.
- It is essential to update the information contained in the microchip. Most cat owners forget to update certain information when needed; the chip will only provide valid information.
- Some studies say that insertion of a microchip can lead to tumors, although rare, and there are fewer cases and non-proven cases.
However, it is essential to note that some side effects have occurred in some cats though they seem sporadic compared to a scale of thousands of other microchipped cats.
How painful is Microchipping?
Microchipping cat hurt, but the pain is usually mild. The chip, loaded in an applicator already sterilized, the loaded syringe, injected into the underlayer of a less tight skin between the shoulder blades.
The needle used for this injection procedure causes a pinch to the cat’s skin; the process does not require a general or local anesthetic. The process seems quick and non-toxic for cats.
Can a Microchip tell my Cat's location?
A microchip is not a GPS(Global Positioning System) or any tracking device that provides time tracking abilities. You will not dictate the location of your cat if it gets missing.
A microchip is a Radio Frequency Identification Device; a chip does not require electric power just as the GPS does. It was activated by a veterinarian or a pet shelter, inserting the RFID- Radio Frequency Identification Device; it scanned throughout the cat’s body where the chip got inserted.
The scanner will activate the identification number, which is a database to the cat owner’s information.
If a shelter or a veterinarian retrieves the microchip’s identification number and the information about the chip and the company’s data, they will contact the company, which will lead to the cat owner.
However, to make the microchip effective, you should always update your personal information such as phone number, emergency contact, and home address.
Steps to take before microchipping a Cat
A lot of persons may up make up their mind to microchip their cat. You wouldn’t want to lose your pet while it wanders off the yard or park.
Before you take that step of microchipping your cat, check out these guidelines to help you on the steady path;
1. Be sure of what you are doing
Pet owners always assume that a microchip is capable of locating their pet where ever its wonders. It is required to note that a microchip is not a tracker but a chip that holds information about the cat’s address and the owner’s contact information. If the cat gets found, it is taken to a Vet or pet shelter to get scanned to obtain the owner’s knowledge.
Also, people believe that microchip is an extensive technology device inserted into the skin, causing skin irritation and discomfort. However, there is no truth to this; chips are as small as a grain of rice, and they don’t cause irritation or pain to the pet.
2. Adhere to medication and prescription
The microchipping injection procedure is a medical process, and although it is quick and doesn’t require anesthesia, it can arise in a severe case. Your cat may need a lubricating cream for the procedure. The reason is that this is a medical procedure, and you want to avoid any health issues or complications.
3. Your pet may reject a microchip
The probability of your rejecting a microchip is high. It is because a chip is a foreign object, and just like human surgical operations, health complications can develop when objects that shouldn’t be in the body gets inserted.
The result of this, as mentioned above, can be tumor development and inflammation.
4. Consult your Veterinarian
Microchipping may come with its risks. It is ideal for some cat owners, especially if the cat has not gotten used to specific training like not going outside when the front door is open.
If your cat does not obey this yet, you may need to consider a microchip to ensure your cat’s essential safety. As a cat owner, you are responsible for making sure your cat is always safe and healthy.
A microchip can be a good option for you. If you want to carry out this medical procedure, ensure you consult an experienced veterinarian who will enlighten you on risks and benefits involved in the process, ask all in-depth questions for clarification.
Conclusion
A microchip is not a tracker or an electronic device; it will have contact information to retrieve your cat when it is lost. Always update your cat’s microchip when needed.
Sometimes, a microchip can fail and may not be detected; this could be because of the chip migration from the shoulder blade to another part of the skin. Microchip failure is uncommon but possible so, ensure you get your microchipped cat checked up regularly to dictate the microchip’s location.
