Microchipping your kitten

20th June 2019

June is National Microchipping Month, so we thought we’d look at the different benefits of getting your kitten microchipped.

Your kitten may already be microchipped depending on where you got them from. Many animal shelters will microchip kittens before they are rehomed. If your kitten doesn’t have a microchip, they can be microchipped inexpensively by your vet. The procedure is very quick and doesn’t require an anaesthetic.

A microchip is about the size of a grain of rice and it is inserted under your kitten’s skin. It is the best form of identification as it can’t become lost like a collar and tag and it will stay with your kitten for their entire life.

Once your kitten has been microchipped, your contact details will be registered on a database which can be accessed when your kitten’s microchip is read using a handheld scanner. If your kitten should ever become lost, it is more likely that they will be returned to you if they have a microchip.

It’s best to get your kitten microchipped before you let them outside for the first time. If you are going to install a cat flap, your microchipped kitten can use a SureFlap Microchip Cat Flap. This uses the microchip as a personalised door key to stop unwanted animals entering your home.

If you plan to never let your kitten outside and to have them as an indoor-only cat, it’s still a good idea to get them microchipped in case they escape through an open door or window. An escaped indoor-only cat may be more likely to stray if they are not used to being outside.

If your kitten is joining another cat in your home, you might want to consider giving each of your pets a SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder or a SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder Connect to stop them stealing each other’s food. It’s likely you will be feeding them different types of food i.e. adult cat food and kitten food, so keeping the food separate will be beneficial to their health and wellbeing.

If you ever move house or change your phone number, it’s important to remember to update these details on the microchipping database to ensure that your cat can be easily returned to you should they become lost.