10,000 cats go high tech

More than 10,000 cats in the metro Denver area have received free microchip identification implants since September 2008 as part of the Chip Your Cat program.

Microchip technology as a way to identify pets has been around for 20 years, but cat owners have been slow to embrace it. It is estimated that less than 5 percent of all pets in the United States have been microchipped. Even more concerning is that less than 10 percent of lost cats brought to animal shelters are reunited with their owners, a statistic that the Chip Your Cat program hopes to radically change by providing FREE microchips and lifetime registrations for 150,000 cats in the six-county metro Denver area.

The Chip Your Cat program reached a milestone in April, having microchipped 10,000 cats, but “there are still thousands more cats in the Denver area needing microchip identification,” said Ralph Johnson, executive director of the Denver Area Veterinary Medical Society. “Pet owners should be aware that getting a microchip implant is a quick procedure and very similar to a vaccination. This brief procedure can make a big difference in recovering your pet if you get separated.” Johnson adds: “Many people feel that if their cats are kept inside they don’t need a microchip, yet one study found that 40 percent of cats reported missing were described as inside- only. Without identification it is extremely difficult to reunite these lost pets with their owners.”

A recent survey of members of the Colorado Veterinary Medical Association found that 75 - 90% of dog owners provide some sort of identification for their dogs, but only 20 - 40% of cat owners provide identification. The study found that one barrier to providing identification is a perception that cat collars are unsafe. A microchip ID implant counters that argument, as an implant can’t get caught on anything and unlike a tag, it won’t fall off. Another barrier is the belief that if a cat lives solely indoors, they do not need identification – however area shelters receive numerous cats that were once considered ‘inside only’ cats.

Free program keeps pets and people together
Cat owners living in Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas and Jefferson counties may receive a free microchip ID implant by scheduling an appointment with a participating veterinarian, or they may attend a scheduled microchip event at a participating shelter. Shelter events are held on a first-come, first-served basis.

Chip Your Cat is a collaboration among the Denver Area Veterinary Medical Society, the Dumb Friends League and the Metro Denver Shelter Alliance. The program is sponsored by Bayer resQ and HomeAgain, makers of the microchip implants. Sixty-five veterinary clinics and six animal shelters are participating by providing this free service.

Interested cat owners can go to www.ChipYourCat.com for more details and to find a participating veterinary clinic or the date of a shelter event (also on facebook and twitter.) This is a limited- time program so cat owners are encouraged to act quickly.
 

For more info: Please visit www.chipyourcat.com to find a participating veterinary clinic or shelter near you.