Page 47 - Phonebox Magazine October 2008

Pet Care – Microchip your cat & dog
Amicrochip is recommended by the RSPCA as an effective way of permanently linking pets to their owners, increasing the chances of them being reunited if the animal is lost, stolen or strays.
Thousands of pets are lost every year and many are never reunited with their owners. The RSPCA believes that the best way to ensure a lost pet is found is to have it microchipped -
implanted with a special microchip tag.
How does microchipping work?
Once an animal has been microchipped it has its own unique code number. The owner's details and the code are put on to the national PetLog database. If a lost or stolen animal is found, the code will be revealed by passing a scanner over the microchip. Then it's just a matter of matching the code with the PetLog database.
How can microchipping help find my cat or dog?
The PetLog scheme provides a fast, fool-proof way of identifying your cat or dog, wherever it is found. The RSPCA, as well as many other animal welfare organisations, and vets and dog wardens, have scanners which can read the microchip's details.
Is microchipping easy to do?
Yes, it's as simple as an injection. A tiny microchip - the size of a grain of rice - is inserted under the animal's skin. Once in, the microchip cannot move or be seen, but can be read by the scanner.
Which animals can be microchipped?
Most animals - but it is most commonly used on dogs, cats and horses.
How much does it cost?
Prices vary but a one-off payment of about £20
will get your cat on to the PetLog database for
life. Owner details can be quickly amended if an address changes.
Where can I have my pet microchipped?
Contact your local RSPCA branch or veterinary surgeon for advice.
My cat's got a collar tag so why should it be microchipped?
By law all dogs have to wear a collar with a tag showing its owner's name and address. But collars can break, identification tags fall off and get lost. Microchips identify your pet permanently and harmlessly.
Why should I worry about losing my pet?
Cats are prone to wandering. Even the most reliable and well-cared for animal can get lost or stolen. Home-loving pets are
most at risk because they don't know their way around the local area.
Is the microchip system well established?
More than 450,000 animals have been microchipped in the past five years in the UK alone. It is the RSPCA's policy to microchip all cats it rehomes. For more information about joining PetLog, telephone 0870 606 6751.
For more information on Milton Keynes & North Bucks RSPCA
For more information on Milton Keynes & North Bucks RSPCA and
and the cats and rabbits that are awaiting re-homing, call 01908
the cats and rabbits that are awaiting re-homing, call 01908 611179.
611179. Or you can visit our website at www.mkrspca.org.uk
Or you can visit our website at www.mkrspca.org.uk
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Phonebox Magazine 47