Everything you need to know about microchipping

24th June 2019

Microchipping is the most effective form of pet identification. A microchip will stay with your cat for its lifetime and, once implanted, your cat won’t even know it’s there.

The microchipping procedure

If you have rehomed a cat through an animal charity, such as Cats Protection, it’s likely they will already have a microchip. But if your cat does not have one, you can get them microchipped at your veterinary practice. The procedure is very quick and just like any other injection. The microchip, about the size of a grain of rice, is implanted under a cat’s skin using a syringe, without the need for an anaesthetic. You should expect to pay £20 to £30 to have your cat microchipped.

When to microchip

You can usually get your cat microchipped at their first or second vaccination appointment, or any time after that. Many owners choose to have their cat microchipped when it is at the vets for neutering.   

Microchipping database

Once microchipped, you will receive registration documents and your cat’s details will be stored on a database. Keep the registration documents in a safe place for future reference. In the event of a house move, it’s important to remember to update your details on the database, and the same applies if you change your phone number.

Microchip-operated products

Once your cat has been microchipped, you could consider using a Sure Petcare microchip-operated product with your cat. The SureFlap Microchip Cat Door or the will prevent intruder animals entering your home, while a SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder can be used to segregate feeding among multiple pets. These products only permit access to a registered cat’s microchip.

With the Sure Petcare range of connected products, such as the SureFlap Microchip Pet Door Connect, the SureFlap Microchip Cat Door Connect and the SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder Connect, the connection with your pet is greater. Using the standard microchip to register a specific pet to the product, owners can also monitor their pet’s activity and feeding behaviour, noticing changes in their pets’ normal patterns to help identify any issues before they become a problem.

The future of connected products looks to combine microchip technologies with other monitoring solutions, such as temperature reading Thermochips, used to register the temperature of pets from underneath the skin. Future products that will support this technology to further monitor a pet’s’ wellbeing are anticipated to become more widely available over the next 12 to 18 months. 

Reading your cat’s microchip

Your cat’s microchip can be read using a handheld scanner. During your cat’s annual check-up at the vets, you may wish to request that it is read to ensure it is still in working order. However, if you have a microchip-operated pet product, you will know your cat’s microchip is working because they will still be able to operate the product.

Rehoming your microchipped cat

If you decide to rehome your cat, either directly to a new owner or to an animal charity, then you will need to complete a transfer of ownership document. Contact the microchipping database that your cat is registered with to enquire about this.

This article was written in collaboration with Cats Protection. For more information about microchipping, visit www.cats.org.uk/help-and-advice/microchipping-your-cat