Microchipping your cat permanently identifies your cat with you. A microchip can’t fall off or put the cat at risk of injury like some collars can. The microchip we insert into your cat has a unique 15-digit number programmed into it. This is recorded on a nationwide database with your contact details.
So, if your cat does go off on an adventure and can’t remember their way home, a microchip means the two of you can be reunited quickly and effectively.
The microchip we use on your cat is a sterile implant, about the size of a grain of rice. We implant it under your cat’s skin, between their shoulder blades.
The microchip has no battery or moving parts. This means it won’t wear out and it remains completely inactive until scanned when its unique number is transmitted to the scanner and displayed on the screen. A microchip does not incorporate GPS and so can’t be used to find your missing cats whereabouts. However, if your cat does go missing and someone finds it, a vet will be able to scan the cat and link it back to you.
Microchipping is a very simple procedure and no more painful than an injection. Your cat will not be aware of the microchip once the procedure has been carried out.
At The London Cat Clinic, we use the latest mini-chips that have all the same features as a normal chip but are 50% thinner ensuring greater comfort. In rare cases, a small amount of blood may seen at the injection site immediately after placement. This is nothing to be concerned about.
Feline microchips are coated with a material that, once in contact with body fluids, forms a small layer of connective tissue around it preventing movement. In a British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) study, failure rates for microchip transponders were about 36/3,700,000. Yes, that’s one in a million chips, or what statisticians would call an “itsy bitsy teensy weensy” little number.
Microchips cost £27.50 (including VAT) and fitting can be booked with one our nurses or vets here.
There is no minimum age and we recommend microchipping your cat before they go outside for the first time. This may be at the second or third vaccination. Alternatively, it can be fitted when spaying or castrating your cat when they are anaesthetised and any possible pain reaction will be removed completely.
After we have implanted your cat's microchip, we will place a hand-held scanner over your cat to check the implantation has been successful. The scanner will display the microchip’s unique number.You will be sent registration documents following the microchipping procedure, usually within a couple of weeks. If you don’t receive these, double-check with us. Keep your registration documents and cat’s microchip number safe.
If you do lose your cat, the first thing to do is check with the database on which your cat is registered that all your contact details are up to date. If you can’t remember or can’t find the documentation, call the clinic and we should be able to provide you with everything you need. If your lost cat is found and taken to a vet, local authority or animal welfare organisation it will be scanned and you will be contacted about your cat’s whereabouts.
Remember that you should update your cat’s microchip details if you move home or change any of your contact details. Remember to let The London Cat Clinic know your new details as well.