The American Humane Association is setting aside April 3rd as "Every Day is Tag Day." To me, this concept is simply common sense. Even cats that are indoor-only do escape sometimes, and without identification and tags, they are sitting ducks for animal control officers or even kindly people who pick them up and "adopt" them as strays.
In my opinion, the best form of identification is the microchip, because even if a collar and tags comes off, if the cat is turned in to a veterinarian or an animal shelter, the chip can be read and the cat returned to his/her family. If you have any doubts about the efficacy of the microchip, be sure to read comment #4 in this recent blog on microchips. All four of my indoor-only cats have been chipped, and I urge my readers to do the same. The life you save could be your cat's.
Comments
Although I do agree with tagging your cat do you don’t lose it as a cat is an investment time, toys, food, medications and vaccinations, getting them fixed or declawing your cat all add personal worth to your cat. But as good as it is for your cat it may still be out of the reach for some families due to the cost and that is normally the determining factor regardless how good it could be. Some people look at it as “if it is not needed now or soon then we can’t get it or do it”. It is rather unfortunate and I know that they need to make money to but with a few small changes more animals could be taken out of the shelters and into good loving homes.
Matthew, I agree in theory that a cat is an investment (I’d have added unconditional love to the list). Also, in theory, I consider microchipping as a form of insurance against the loss of my investment.
The same people you quote as thinking “if it is not needed now or soon then we can’t get it or do it,” will often apply the same reasoning to veterinary care for their cats. Exactly what do you propose as a solution?
Hello Franny,
Just to let you know that Siberia is in Russia.
Your Russian reader.
Hello Olga, glad to have you as a reader. You posted:
“Just to let you know that Siberia is in Russia.”
I’m aware of that but I’m very confused as to why you posted it here. I don’t believe I’ve ever said that Siberia is NOT in Russia. It doesn’t have a whole lot to do with microchipping cats in any case..
Declawing certainly does NOT add value to your cat!
The vowels don’t wear collars because, to be honest, who would ever get close enough to read them, if they got out. However, they’ve been microchipped since there were kittens, just in case. Also, some of our area shelters now microchip cats before they are even put up for adoption, which is great.