Question about a Rescue Cat and a Microchip:

[bicentennial_baby]

Hi all! :hi:

So hopefully we're adopting a sweet girl from our local no-kill shelter in a few days. When we were there today, the Adoption Counselor was going over her medical records/history since she's been there (found as a stray on 5/15), and on one page, I saw the word "microchipped".

I'm not sure if that meant that they microchipped her, or if she had one when she came in. So IF it's the latter:

If a stray is brought in with a microchip, they would try to track down her humans, no?

I'm just worried that we'll get her, I'll take her to our Vet, he'll scan the chip, and we'll end up having to give her back to her family or something.

Then again, if your cat was missing for 4 months, you would probably check the city no-kill shelter, correct?

Maybe I'm just being neurotic? :shrug:

Thanks :)

[Muttocracy]

1. can you ask the shelter staff? most shelters have a scanner

so maybe they meant yes, they checked for one and there wasn't one? or the contact info couldn't be traced any more?

Without a scanner they wouldn't know she has one unless they put it in themselves.

How old is the kitty?

[bicentennial_baby]

2. She's a year old

Has been spayed, found stray 4 months ago.

I think they have a scanner, as the shelter is also the city Animal Control HQ, and I'm pretty sure they chip the animals that they find.

I'll ask more when I go back. Hopefully we'll be bringing her home on Tuesday night. This is her, she's a Siamese mix:



Isn't she lovely? :)

[roody]

9. What a love!

[ginnyinWI]

12. she's a sweetie.

She looks so Siamese, but then not quite. Those eyes are definitely Siamese.

Most stray cats are not re-claimed, unlike dogs. The rate is only about 4%, unfortunately.

A few years ago my daughter and her husband found a stray who had a micro-chip. They brought him in, but the address on the chip led to a dead end--the people had moved and left no forwarding address. Nobody was looking for him, and he was half-starved and flea and tick-ridden when they found him crying at their front door one cold November night.

What amazes them to this day is how someone would let a beautiful pure-bred-looking Maine Coon cat (in the more rare Silver Tabby color) roam free and get lost in Minneapolis. He even has a tattoo on his belly, which leads them to suspect that he's a purebred. (It's a "male" symbol with a slash mark through it, meaning "neutered male"? If anyone knows what that mark means, let me know.)

here he is:


He's a big boy--about 14 pounds and not fat:

[spooky3]

15. heartbreaking story but beautiful ending for a beautiful kitty!

[demnan]

13. She is so pretty

Really a ginger point snowshoe. Don't think I've ever seen one before. You'll just love her! Siamese are so affectionate. Don't worry follow everyone else's advise and just ask.

[spooky3]

16. what a dollface!

[emilyg]

19. Sweet, lovely baby.

[kestrel91316]

3. Ask the shelter. I know that our city shelter now microchips everybody

prior to release. If that is your situation, her records will have her chip# for you to put in your files. You need to know the brand of chip, too, and how to change owner contact info if you move.

I use Bayer's resQ chip and they have a website for doing all that. Not sure about the other brands.

[Muttocracy]

4. I got one for my dogs that's linked up to the AKC website somehow

Not my preference but it was what the vet had - a little funny since I have 2 mutts.

I guess they have a different kind of chip now
http://www.akc.org/news/index.cfm?article_id=3148

http://www.akccar.org/

[bicentennial_baby]

5. Check your PM for my other question

Thanks! :hi:

[blondie58]

6. I think that you are just worried- as I remember reading

your first post about this girl- and yes, she is a love. But it seems to me that they would contact whoever was listed on her microchip- but if an original owner has moved and not updated the chip info, that they treat the animal just like a stray. Good luck and have fun with this sweet girl. Do you have a name yet?

[bicentennial_baby]

8. Her name will be...

Milk-Chan...Milk, for short. :)

[livetohike]

7. Our dogs were both adopted from the shelter

They microchipped the dogs before we adopted them. Then I had to complete the paperwork and send it in to the microchip company (the shelter gave me this paperwork on the day I brought the dogs home).

I would call the shelter and ask what this situation is though, just to ease your mind :-).

[alstephenson]

14. Same thing with my kitty.

She came microchipped from the shelter. They entered the basic information, then I went on-line to update it (I changed her name from Buttons to Bella). Good luck with your beautiful new kitty!

[yellerpup]

10. We adopted a sweet boy in March

who went on the euthanasia list at a public shelter. He was microchipped, too. Maybe something happened to his owner, or he was lost when the owner moved far away. I'm pretty sure this kitty belonged to a young man because he lives for my husband to walk through the door in the evening, adores pizza and Chinese take-out, and likes to rough house when he plays. The shelter estimated his age at between 3 or 3-1/2 years and he had spent at least 18 months institutionalized when we adopted him. Maybe the original k-mommy or papa didn't have the wherewithall to retrieve the kitty. I understand your confusion. I was thinking that maybe his former owner had him chipped because this kitty was adventurous and liked to prowl. It must have been something in the timing. Congratulations on your new k-baby! You won't be sorry.

[spooky3]

17. photos please, yellerpup?

I love happy endings.

[DeepBlueC]

11. just ask...it will all be okay

really. :)

[bicentennial_baby]

18. Question answered:

She was chipped at the Shelter. No worries. :)

Thanks everyone, she's home now, and adjusting. :hi:

[demnan]

21. We demands us some more pictures!

She's so cute. Her face reminds me of Pad Thai. That intelligent Siamese face. She won't lose the love bugginess - that's a Siamese trait.

[bicentennial_baby]

22. If only she'd stop trying to kill Cat #1

Integration is going...well, not so well. They're ok for about 5 minutes, and then fur starts flying. More like claws. She got him in the nose last night. For now, total segregation with short sessions together. She's trying to be alpha cat, and he's confused. He wants to play, and she wants to attack in response. I'm so frustrated.

But, the Feliway diffuser gets here tomorrow, and we'll see if that has any positive effect. I'm determined to make this work, but she's more than a handful, and when she gets mad, I get the claw wrath. 4 injuries and counting (2 face scratches, 1 back wound, and a puncture to the neck). I adore her, but she's...difficult.

I'll let you know how it goes. And I'll upload new pics tomorrow after school, promise. :)

[badgerpup]

20. Got chips for all my kitties...

...except Finnegan, and he'll be getting his later this year.

He's only five months old, and I'd sorta like to wait until he's big enough not to accidently fall into the needle when they do the procedure.
A 20-gauge needle is HUGE...:wow::scared:

It didn't seem to hurt or upset Wimsey too much when he got his earlier this year though...
he didn't struggle or cry, just said "Hey..." (or the feline equivalent) and then it was done. He's good about letting me give him his shots, too. Such a sweet boy...O8)