We are Not Microchipping Our Pets
Our differing attitudes to micro-chipping our pets were highlighted today by an announcement that only 1% of stray cats that found their way into Battersea Dogs and Cats Home during 2007 were successfully reunited with their owners compared with 41% of dogs. It turns out that less than 3% of the cats were micro-chipped or carried any form of identification at all.
Identification of dogs appears to be much more common with 16% of stray dogs either micro-chipped or tagged when they arrive at the Home.
Another contributing aspect says the charity, is that cat owners are three times less likely to report their cat missing than people who have lost their dogs, suggesting that they are more likely than dog owners to think that their pet can fend for itself or may believe there is little chance of being reunited with their feline friend.
Lucy Reade, Lost Dogs and Cats Line, Battersea Dogs and Cats Home comments:
"These worrying statistics reflect the tendency owners have to leave their cats to their own devices. From Battersea's perspective, it means that almost all the stray cats we receive are without any identification and are not reported as missing, which makes the job of re-uniting them with their owners almost impossible.
As cats can tend to stray, it is all the more important that they are micro-chipped and can therefore be identified. Likewise, the chances of a cat and owner being reunited increases dramatically if a report is made.."
If you have lost or found a dog or cat, call Battersea's Lost Dogs & Cats Line on 0901 477 8477, calls cost 60p per minute. The Line is open seven days a week from 8am to 8pm and operates within the M25 area.