Pet Travel Topics: A Closer Look at Cat Microchips
Microchipping Cats for Travel
We often receive questions from concerned pet owners about microchips. Are they necessary? Do they hurt? Which one is right for international travel?
The basic truth is that microchips are necessary for travel most of the time, and when it comes to getting them implanted, most pets barely notice them.
Approximately the size of a grain of rice and inserted just below the skin between the shoulder blades, microchips offer a standardized way to identify pets when they're crossing borders and going through customs, and they also provide peace of mind to pet owners in daily life after a move (even if your pet never gets lost, knowing they're trackable is pretty comforting).
Here's more about what's involved with microchipping a cat, and also more about AVID, HomeAgain and ISO-compatible microchips.
Finally, just because it's pretty cool, take a look below at an X-ray revealing what a microchip looks like. This cat named Leo will be traveling to New Zealand soon, so his owners took care of business by making sure he would be prepared with the correct microchip. Looks like he's ready to go!
Check out Leo's microchip. As you can see, it's tiny and implanted on his back between the shoulder blades.