Micro-Chip Your Friends!

The post about the long-lost cat that was finally reunited with its owner
due to an early micro-chip made me think.

When Persia first acquired me, she escaped after a month for 24 hours and I
was frantic. I immediately took her to the vet and had her chipped. This
is a good thing to do for your beloved pets, folks.

While I *do* feel for those who apparently tended to this cat in the story
for 10 years, they obviously let him/her outside to wander and he finally
wound up at a pound where they discovered the chip.

I wouldn't want anything to happen to my dear sweet Persia, so I had her
chipped. If she runs off and is taken anywhere where they have sense, they
will scan her and find out she belongs to me.

Funny, though. She doesn't seem to want to run off these days. I put her
out in her kitty-walk on the patio and when she wants inside she runs
straight for the back door. She could just as easily head for the wood-pile
or the patio swing or the back gate. But NO! She knows where the food and
the toys are

Jill

I wonder if scanning for micro-chips is that common here in the US? I have my
doubts, considering vets are not quick to suggest them at all.

--
Victor M. Martinez

http://www.che.utexas.edu/~martiv

Victor M. Martinez wrote:
I wonder if scanning for micro-chips is that common here in the US? I
have my doubts, considering vets are not quick to suggest them at all.

When I took Persia to be chipped, the vet had her taken from the room.
Ostensibly to be weighed. When she was brought back in, he said "They
already chipped her. Some people get upset and back out if they see the size
of the needle."

He then showed me a needle which was the size of the end of a ball-point
pen. Said, this is what is used to insert a chip. It's the same size
needle used to sedate a bull!

He was correct; if I'd thought about something that size being pushed into
Persia's neck I would have said NO!

She was a little tender in that area for the next couple of days. But she
didn't whine or whimper; she's a good girl!

I'm glad I had it done. If she runs off (which I don't think she'll do),
being taken to any vet or shelter she'll be immediately ID'd as belonging to
me.

Jill

On Sat, 27 Sep 2003 20:58:18 -0700, Steve Touchstone wrote
(in message ):

It did not seem to bother Maya much. A lot less than it would have
bothered me anyway. She hardly even flinched.

Sort of glad I missed seeing that needle. I had Little Bit checked for
a chip when she showed up, and am VERY glad that her previous owned
didn't bother. I'm sure she had a previous owner, since she was tame
when she showed up pregnant on the porch during an ice storm. I did
try to find her owner, posters etc, as at that time I didn't think I
wanted a cat.

Once the kittens were born Little Bit was chipped when the kittens
were weaned and she went in for neutering, as was Sammy when she was
old enough for her neutering.

Of course, as I've learned since, I don't own my cats - they own me
;-)

On Sat, 27 Sep 2003 23:49:02 GMT, John Biltz
wrote:

On Sat, 27 Sep 2003 16:06:08 -0700, jmcquown wrote
(in message ):

If you walked in and said you had found a stray I think most vets would
check. I know mine did with Maya and that stray I was going to keep but
had a chip. I know the animal control people are required to check here
when they bring in an animal. I watched Maya get hers, the thing looks
like the needle you use to blow up a basketball.

Victor M. Martinez wrote:
I wonder if scanning for micro-chips is that common here in the US? I
have my doubts, considering vets are not quick to suggest them at all.

When I took Persia to be chipped, the vet had her taken from the room.
Ostensibly to be weighed. When she was brought back in, he said "They
already chipped her. Some people get upset and back out if they see the
size
of the needle."

He then showed me a needle which was the size of the end of a ball-point
pen. Said, this is what is used to insert a chip. It's the same size
needle used to sedate a bull!

He was correct; if I'd thought about something that size being pushed into
Persia's neck I would have said NO!

She was a little tender in that area for the next couple of days. But she
didn't whine or whimper; she's a good girl!

I'm glad I had it done. If she runs off (which I don't think she'll do),
being taken to any vet or shelter she'll be immediately ID'd as belonging
to
me.

Jill