June is National Microchipping Month and brings awareness of the importance of microchipping pets.  As we at CCA serve the Las Vegas Community, we see not only feral and homeless cats but stray cats that are potentially lost.  If you or someone you know have ever lost a pet, you know how stressful it can be.

Lost cats do not understand they are lost but do know they are hungry, miss their human and need our help.

Microchipping increases the chances of cats returning home.  Microchips are about the size of a grain of rice and take minutes to insert between the shoulder blades.  This procedure can be done by a veterinarian and is not painful to the cat.  Microchips use a radio frequency identification device technology that enables a scanner to emit an electrical field.  The microchip is activated by a scanner where the scanner will show the permanent ID number.  The microchip identification number should be registered to include the cat’s name and the owner's contact details.  A few microchip registries used are AKC Reunite, Petfinder and Petlink.  It is recommended a picture also be uploaded to the registry.  Should you move or change your phone number, be sure the contact information is updated in the registry.  This is sometimes a step that people forget to do.

There are several studies and statistics out there on the internet but the one constant is having your pet microchipped will help in being reunited.  The Nevada ASPCA https://nevadaspca.org/pet-microchipping/ says microchipped cats are more than 20 times as likely to be returned to their owners than those without a microchip.

Please microchip your pets and ask your friends and family to do the same.  This will help in being reunited should your cat go missing and is scanned at a vet or animal shelter.