ID Ideas

Make sure your cat can be easily identified so that if she does wander, you know she’ll be brought back to you

Although cats have an innate homing instinct, sometimes they do get lost. An earlier Cat Diaries article gave you tips for finding a lost cat. However, by ensuring your cat can be easily identified in the first place, you’re greatly increasing the chances of being reunited without needing to spend most of your time looking.

Furthermore, cats can be legally destroyed if found in a National Park, designated sanctuary or more than a kilometre from a human dwelling. To minimise that risk, appropriate identification is paramount.

In Australia, less than on per cent of cats taken to animal shelters or pounds are returned to their owners because of lack of identification. It is not compulsory to id your cat in the whole country (in New South Wales, though, all cats and dogs must be microchipped), but doing so makes lives so much easier.

Microchipping
For absolute peace of mind, having your cat microchipped is hard to beat. The procedure itself is simple and safe (ask your vet for details) and has been likened to a simple vaccination. Once microchipped, your cat is registered for life with the Australasian Animal Registry (AAR). Then, if your cat is lost and taken to a pound, she will be scanned for a microchip and your details will pop up.

The microchip itself is a computer chip about the size of a grain of rice that is injected under your cat’s skin. It contains a unique identification number that, when scanned, will reveal your details. Obviously, then, it is important that you update your details with the AAR if you move. You can access the appropriate form here.

Collars and id tags
Collars with marked id tags are the simplest ‘at-a-glance’ way of increasing the likelihood of your cat being returned to you. There are many different types of collar (and tags) available, with specific safety collars being particularly recommended. Have your cat’s name and a contact telephone number engraved on the id tag, making sure to change the tag if you change your phone number.

It’s a good idea to have a couple of spare tags and collars on hand should your cat lose hers. It’s easy for a collar to become snagged as your cat crawls through undergrowth, so to ensure she can slip out of it easily make sure you can slip two fingers between the collar and your cat’s neck to minimise the risk of strangulation.

Losing a much-loved pet can be traumatic for owners, particularly if there are children in the family. But by ensuring your cat is properly identified, the chances of a happy reunion are greatly increased.

Images by darkhairedgirl and Greg Bishop