It may be challenging to keep your cat from wandering, or to curb a cat’s curious nature, but research shows missing cats that have been microchipped and registered with the NZ Companion Animal Registry (NZCAR), have an excellent chance of being reunited with their owners. These cats affectionately known as micro-hopping cats are incredibly fortunate to have caring owners who have had them microchipped.
We have had several good outcomes lately with cat’s being microchipped:
“Tigger” a handsome ginger boy had turned up at one of our client’s homes. He had been hanging around for about a week endearing himself to the family. He was brought in to our Anexa clinic for a check-up and in that process was scanned for a microchip. Yes, he had a microchip, and through the NZCAR his owners were found over 65km away. They had been looking for Tigger for over three weeks and were delighted to hear he was safe and were reunited with him, as he farewelled his new-found friends. Odds are is that he must have inadvertently hitched a ride as she loved to get into nooks and crannies.
“Tabby” was a female tabby and white cat in very good condition. She was brought into an Anexa clinic by a client, as a stray, as she had been hanging around his house for some time. He requested euthanasia under the umbrella of a local cat humane society. Tabby was in good condition and obviously domesticated, as with all stray cats we checked for a microchip. Sure enough: she had one who identified her as belonging to a happy owner who had moved to a new area after previously living near where “Tabby” had been found. “Tabby” had disappeared from her new home soon after moving and had obviously made the journey across town to try and find her old home.
“Amos” was a male tabby who was brought into a rural clinic for a check-up by a concerned family who had affectionately called him “No Mates”. During the course of the examination, he was checked for a microchip, and one was found. His owner lived in a rural area 50km away from the clinic. Our nurse called the owner who was shocked to hear that “Amos’ had been found. “Amos’ had moved out of his previous home in disgust five years earlier when the family had adopted a rather lively Fox Terrier. Even though they looked high and low for him, he did not return. How had he gone so far? How had he survived too long? Only Amos knows. As the new people were keen to keep “Amos”, and his original family having given him up for lost and had since adopted 3 new cat members in their family, “Amos” stayed in his new home which he had selected himself (hopefully with no pesky Fox Terriers).
We may not be able to restrict our feline friends wandering natures but as these stories demonstrate microchipping your cat, really is a must to protect them – they may go missing, but with the added identification they won’t remain lost.
