Meet BANDIT – Why to Microchip Your Cat

Today I want to give you one very good reason to keep your cats indoors and to keep them identified with a microchip.

Meet Bandit. Someone driving by found him on the side of the road. He was brought to a local emergency room because he had been hit by a car.

His story is a common one. The owner had a guest over at their house and when the door was opened, Bandit slipped outside. Somehow he wandered into the street and got hit. Very sad. He had some bruising to his lungs, a bloody injured eye, head trauma and a fractured pelvis. His injuries were life threatening.

But he did have a microchip. When Bandit arrived at the clinic he was scanned, a microchip was found and the owner was identified and called. It was not until after we contacted the owner that we learned this cat’s name was Bandit. His owner was thrilled that he had been found and came immediately to the clinic.

Having a microchip is a great way for a cat to be reunited with his owners. I’ve read statistics that only 2 to 3 % of lost cats are ever reunited with their owners. That is very sad. That means 97 to 98% of cats never make it home. Can you imagine the fear and confusion a cat faces when suddenly lost? Especially after being in indoor-only happy cat.

So make sure your cat has a microchip. You NEVER know when a cat will get out. Even if they are indoors only, one unknowing guest and an open door is all the opportunity a curious cat needs to venture outside.

By the way, Bandit did fine. He lived to have 8 more lives.