In the case of pets that are predominantly indoor residing, people may feel there is little or no need for any kind of identification tag but what if your furry friend decides to go walkabout one evening and doesn't return? With no identification tag, anyone who may happen to find it will have no way of knowing to whom, or where the pet belongs. Identification tags on collars are important but can become lost or damaged. Imagine this was the case and your pet ended up in an animal shelter. Unfortunately, most of these places only keep hold of the animals for up to seven days- after that, well..

This is where the microchip really comes into its own. It is currently the newest and easiest way to identify lost pets meaning more often than not, they end up back home. In fact, microchipping pets is so popular that most veterinary practises and animal clinics have the means and ability to scan microchips.

It is relatively painless for your pet and involves inserting a tiny microchip about the size of a grain of rice under the skin using a hypodermic needle, usually behind the neck. It would feel to the pet on par to having a vaccination shot. It would probably be a good idea to get the pet microchipped at a relatively young age- both puppies and kittens can go through the procedure at six weeks. The microchip basically holds a digital number which has been entered into a database. By using this number a vet is able to identify exactly the name, the breed, the address and sometimes even the vaccination history of the animal.

Microchipping is popular because unlike a collar which can be lost or damaged, it is permanent and cannot be removed. Some pets, especially the felines, have an uncanny knack of dislodging the collar either by catching it on something or, as is usually the case, by more direct means! Having this type of pet microchipped alleviates all these kinds of problems in one fell swoop.

You have to make sure that all the information kept on the database about your pet is kept up to date. It would be no good at all if your pet were to get lost, having been microchipped, but have incorrect information listed against its name. Your vet would probably be able to explain to you the procedure needed for updating this information.

Just because a pet has been microchipped, it's no reason to sit back and wait for the pet to be delivered to you if it has been lost. Some vets and shelters do not have the scanners capable of reading microchips so you will still have to actively search for your pet, whether this be by putting up flyers or placing an ad in your local newspaper. Remember what we mentioned earler about the seven day thing!