Microchipping

Microchipping and identifying your kitten

When your kitten is over six months old and ready to go out alone more often, you are advised to fit a collar holding some form of identification and perhaps to carry a magnet or key to an electronic cat flap. Collars must be fitted carefully as kittens are active and inquisitive while growing up. Injuries could occur if the collar gets hooked on a tree branch or fence, or the kitten gets its foreleg caught up in the collar. Quick-release collars, which snap open if they become caught on anything, are the safest option for all cats. For a young, rapidly growing cat, remember to check the fit of the collar often (you should be able to get one or two fingers under the collar) and increase its size accordingly.

It is a really good idea to get your kitten microchipped. This is a permanent form of identification using a microchip (about the size of a grain of rice), which is injected under the skin between the shoulder blades. The chip carries a ‘barcode’ read by a scanner. The code number is registered along with your details on a national database so, if your kitten gets lost, you can be reunited quickly. Your vet will be able to advise you about microchipping.

Text from Blue Cross Charity