Is microchipping worth the cost?

#Middlebury #PawsCorner

DEAR PAW’S CORNER: To save money, I take my two cats, Betty and Wilma, to a local shot clinic that is held every spring. This year, the tech asked if I wanted my cats microchipped. I said no, because they’re indoor cats and it seems like an unnecessary expense. He looked at me like I was almost a criminal for not saying yes! What do you think? – Dottie in Knoxville, Tennessee

DEAR DOTTIE: It’s entirely your decision whether to microchip your pets, so there was no need for the tech to get all judgmental about it.

Since I have your attention, though, allow me to throw some statistics your way. A 2009 study cited by the American Veterinary Medical Association found that dogs without microchips were returned to their owners 22 percent of the time, whereas microchipped dogs were returned 52 percent of the time. Cats without microchips were reunited with their owners less than 2 percent of the time, whereas microchipped cats went back home 38 percent of the time.

Now, I know Betty and Wilma are purely indoor cats, which vastly improves their chances for healthy, long lives. However, accidents happen. Doors get left ajar. Thunderstorms roll in. And indoor cats … get outside.

Your cats probably have collars and tags – and that’s great. But cats are notorious for slipping their collars. While a microchip doesn’t guarantee your cats will be found and reunited with you, it does greatly improve the odds. Microchips have been standardized and data networks greatly improved over the past decade. So, while it is always your choice to microchip your cats, I do think it’s worth the extra cost to do so.

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