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and cat pet tips - on Pets.ca
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Tip
64 - Identification for cats and dogs
Cats
and dogs must have identification on them at all times. It does
not
matter if the cats are strictly indoor
cats or if the dog only goes to relieve itself in your fenced backyard.
Cats and dogs can and do escape all the time. They dig under fences
and they escape through doors and windows while you aren't looking.
One of your best recovery elements if they ever run away or get
lost
is their
identification.
The
simplest, cheapest and most common form of pet identification
is a cat or dog ID tag. Pet ID tags are available at almost every
pet store, in veterinary offices, or on this or other internet
sites. Make sure they are well attached to a secure collar and
NEVER take them off or assume for one minute that they are safe
without them. Tens of thousands of lost pets without identification
end up destroyed in shelters or used for experimentation in animal
laboratories. The
most important
piece
of information to put on that tag is the
pet's
telephone
number
WITH the area
code.
Engrave
2 numbers if space permits.
Another
useful form of identification is microchipping. Sometimes Pet
ID tags and collars fall off or break free. Microchipping cats
and dogs is a permanent
(though invisible to people in the neighborhood) identification method.
Most vets and humane/rescue societies will check to see if a
lost
pet has
been
microchipped.
Microchips
are teeny
devices
that your vet implants just under your pet's
skin. All of the pet's pertinent contact information
is scanned on that permanent chip. It is a relatively cheap device
usually costing less than $60.00 dollars. Laboratories that use
stray/unrecovered pets for experiments will not experiment on
your precious lost microchipped pet. The drawback with microchipping
is that most but not all microchip scanners can read all microchips.
The standard is becoming more universal, but it's not quite there
yet.
Tattooing
your cat and dog is another great and permanent way to protect
them if they ever get lost. Tattooing dogs and cats has been
done routinely since the sixties and is a relatively painless
procedure.
Normally a number is tattooed on the groin of the pet. That
number MUST be listed with a pet registry to be of the
highest value. If your pet ever gets lost
the tattoo
is a great identification marker.You can post a lost and found
notice and say your pet has a tattoo. Many shelters
will not destroy a tattooed pet, and some will hold it for a
longer period of time than a non tattooed pet. It also drastically
reduces
the chance that your lost
pet will end up in an animal research laboratory. The main problem
is that on some breeds of dog or cat the tattoo becomes less
legible over time. Make sure to get a recommendation for
a skilled pet tattooist.
The
obvious point is that multiple ID methods are the best choice
for your pet. Take the time to call your vet and investigate
the options NOW. Once your pet is lost it's too late. Also make
sure
to have
a
good
clear updated photo of your pet should you ever need it.
© Pets.ca
2006
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