What is the best way to identify my cat.
It is now compulsory for all cats in Victoria to be micro-chipped by the time they reach 3 months of age. Your cat will have to be micro-chipped to be registered in this state. All cats (and dogs) aged 3 months and over must be registered with the local council.
Micro-chipping is also the best way to identify your cat, the process is painless and the chip is permanent and will not cause injuries as some collars can. The good news is should your cat wander or get lost the microchip will make it easily identified by the council or pound officers and you will be able to reclaim the animal. AII pounds and sheIters are required by Iaw to scan cats on entry to their faciIity.
What is micro-chipping?
A microchip is a tiny computer chip about the size of a grain of rice, which has an identification number programmed into it. The microchip is inert, has no battery and uses no energy, and will last for the life of the animal. The microchip is injected under the animal’s skin between the shoulder blades and is a simple procedure, which causes no side effects. To identify the animal, a scanner that reads microchip numbers is passed over the animal’s skin. The scanned number can then be checked against a register, which provides details of the animal’s ownership. It is essentiaI therefore that the owners detaiIs are kept current with the registry.
What are the benefits of micro-chipping?
A microchip provides a permanent form of identification which can quickly reunite owners with lost or injured pets. This could literally save your pet’s life – sadly, many pets that end up in pounds and shelters are not identified, and have to be euthanased because their owners cannot be located. Microchips cannot be removed or fall off like the traditional collar and tag. Additionally, pet owners receive a discount on their registration fee if their cat or dog is micro-chipped.
If a pet is injured and a veterinarian needs to contact the owner urgently, a microchip enables them to quickly identify the owner and contact them to allow the owner to make decisions on the animal’s treatment.
How do I have my pet microchipped?
Only authorised implanters (such as registered veterinarians who have completed the required training) can implant microchips.
You can have your pet micro-chipped at a vet clinic, or at a local council microchip day (contact your local council for details on upcoming events). The cost of micro-chipping will generally be recovered within the first few years if you had previously been paying full registration fees (ie due to the discount for micro-chipped pets). It also means you can have confidence you will get your pet back if it is lost and ends up in the council pound or injured and at a vet clinic.
What else should I know about microchips?
Owners of newly micro-chipped animals will receive a certificate of identification from the licensed registry where information is kept.
It is important to check the information on the certificate and make sure it is accurate. In future, if your residential or contact details change, it is vital that you update the information on the microchip registry.
