New Initiatives Tout Value of Microchipping Pets

by Steve Dale

Last summer, though an initiative supported by the Winn Feline Foundation, nearly 52,000 cats were microchipped and enrolled in the HomeAgain Pet Recovery System.

That's likely a world's record for the number of cats microchipped in three months - considering that cats are rarely microchipped at all.

A microchip is a permanent form of identification; it's the size of a grain of rice and is implanted just under a pet's skin by a veterinarian. Estimates are that somewhere around half of all dogs in the U.S. are microchipped, yet less then 10 percent of cats have chips.

No one knows for certain why there's such an astounding discrepancy. Gary MacPhee, director of the HomeAgain Business Unit, InterVet Schering-Plough Animal Health, Roseland, NJ, says "In general, cats are undervalued. They don't visit veterinarians as often as dogs; we just don't think of their value being equal to dogs'. Interestingly, though, we actually have more cats than we do dogs." (According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, there are about 72 million dogs and 82 million pet cats in the U.S.)

Also, increasingly, people are keeping their cats indoors. "That's a very good thing," says feline veterinarian Dr. Susan Little, of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, president of the Winn Feline Foundation. "Life is certainly safer for these indoor only cats. But the problem is that if they do find themselves outside in a strange environment, they're arguably more at risk for getting lost than a cat more experienced at dealing with life outdoors. Still, for all cats, a microchip is a good idea."

Also, Little notes that if an unexpected event occurred which forced an evacuation of your neighborhood -- such as a fire or gas leak -- you might not be home at the time.

"Dogs are more likely to be microchipped, and they generally wear an identifying tag on their collars. Cats usually have nothing," she points out. No wonder, in emergencies, many more cats than dogs are never reunited with their families.

Some lost pets ultimately land at shelters. Bob Rohde, president of the Dumb Friends League, Denver, CO, expresses a frustration common among shelter operators. He says lost pets are always scanned for microchips. While around half the dogs and at least a few cats have chips, too many of their owners never registered with the microchip company, making it difficult or impossible to track down the owners. In other cases, the pets were at one time registered, but the contact information, phone, email and street address are outdated.

"You don't expect mail forwarded unless you give the post office an address to forward it to," says Rohde. "This is the same thing."

As more people are microchipping their dogs (and hopefully registering with the microchip company), when dogs are scanned for chips, Denver Dumb Friends often contacts owners before they even have a chance to call the shelter. Occasionally, it happens so fast that the family doesn't even realize their pet is missing.

To get the same results for cats, HomeAgain is encouraging microchipping cats through local programs such as the CHIP YOUR CAT campaign in Denver, and national initiatives like the one again being supported this summer by the Winn Feline Foundation. For every cat micrcohipped from now through August, HomeAgain will donate $1 dollar to the Winn Feline Foundation to support cat health research.

Winn Feline Foundation is not-for-profit funder of veterinary studies concerning cat health. If you have a cat, funding from Winn has impacted your pet's day-to-day life - from routine vaccines first studied through Winn-funded research, to the foods most cats eat.

As it turns out, those who enroll in the HomeAgain Pet Recovery system will never search for their lost pets alone.

Volunteers help search for lost pets. HomeAgain sends lost pet alerts to nearby shelters and veterinarians.

If a pet is found more than 500 miles from home, up to $500 will be paid to help return the pet. Pets are even covered for up to $3,000 in veterinary bills (through insurance) while lost; paying for everything from scratched corneas to severe injuries as a result of being hit by cars. Also, free toxicology advice is available 24/7 through the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center.

Annual renewal of the Pet Recovery system is $14.99.

"The idea is that we proactively help you, the pet owner," MacPhee says.

Learn where your cat can be microchipped, and about the promotion at www.homeagain.com or www.winnfelinehealth.org. Watch Dr. Little discuss microchipping at www.petworldradio.net.

(Full disclosure: Steve is a board member - unpaid - of the Winn Feline Foundation.)

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