According to the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP), less than 5 percent of lost cats are reunited with their owners once they're taken into a shelter, largely because there's no way to determine who they belong to.
"No question, microchipping saves lives, ensuring far more lost cats are reunited with their families," says Dr. Susan Little, president of the Winn Feline Foundation. "Most cats don't wear collars, and even for those who do, collars and ID tags may fall off or be removed. Microchipping and enrollment into a national database is the only permanent form of identification."
Last summer, through the tandem promotional efforts of the Winn Feline Foundation and HomeAgain, an astoundingly impressive 51,984 cats were microchipped.
"I'm absolutely convinced many lives were saved as a result of being microchipped, not to mention the cats that benefited from HomeAgain's generous donation to the Winn Feline Foundation," Little says.
"The statistics we are able to derive from the HomeAgain database confirm that cats are significantly underserved with regard to microchipping when compared with dogs," says Gary MacPhee, director and general manager of HomeAgain. "Indoor cats, in particular, are often not microchipped, which is unfortunate because they can get lost. Since most cats are also not well identified with collars and tags, they are at an extraordinarily high risk of not being reunited with their owners once lost. We are extremely pleased to partner with Winn to raise awareness of the importance of permanent identification for all cats while supporting important veterinary research to enhance the health and longevity of our feline family members."
Little and MacPhee agree that there is no better time than right now to visit your veterinarian and request a microchip and enrollment for your cat. Savvy cat owners who have already taken this important step are encouraged to ensure their microchip is registered with a national database like HomeAgain and that contact information is current.
About Winn Feline Foundation
The Winn Feline Foundation is a non-profit organization established 41 years ago to promote the health and welfare of cats through education and research. Veterinarians and cat owners benefit every day from research funded by Winn. For more on cat health, visit www.winnfelinehealth.org.
About HomeAgain
HomeAgain is a national pet recovery service, offered by Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health, which goes beyond microchipping. Once enrolled, a pet's microchip will be registered in the HomeAgain National Pet Recovery Database for its lifetime. In addition, the annual HomeAgain membership includes:
- Live Pet Recovery Specialists always available at 1-888-HomeAgain
- Lost Pet Alerts with a Lost Pet Poster sent to veterinary clinics, shelters and PetRescuers
- 24/7 Emergency Medical Telephone Assistance
- Medical Insurance for Lost Dogs or Cats, up to $3,000 (less a $50 deductible) offered by PetFirst Healthcare
- Travel expenses of up to $500 for dogs or cats found more than 500 miles from home
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