What’s as tiny as a grain of rice, but powerful enough be a cat’s ticket back home? A microchip for animals!
After spending over a hundred days alone in the burn zone after the California Camp Fire in November, Dexter was reunited with his family, thanks to his microchip.
When the fire burned through Northern California, Dexter’s owners, Paul and Sandra, had only minutes to gather themselves, their four cats and their belongings before fleeing the blaze. In all the commotion, Dexter was left behind. Dexter relied on his instincts and survived for months in the fire-damaged neighborhood.
Fortunately, Dexter’s owners had all of their cats microchipped. When Dexter was finally found by FieldHaven volunteers and brought to the Alley Cat Allies Recovery Center®, it was easy to tell who his family was. With a simple scan and a phone call, Paul and Sandra learned that their beloved cat would finally be coming home. Paul and Sandra had moved to St. Louis, over 2000 miles away from Paradise.
While no cat lover ever wants to think about losing their beloved friend, being prepared can help ensure they can make it home soon and safely. Microchips are a safe, affordable, easy and effective way to ID cats, registering them to their owner or caregiver. After natural disasters, these little microchips help cats find their families, just like Dexter was reunited with his.
In fact, cats with microchips are 20 times more likely to be reunited with their families. And for community cats, microchipping ensures that cats are returned to the correct colony and reconnected with their caregiver.
Whether your cat lives with you or with her colony, take a lesson from Dexter’s trip home. Be sure to microchip all the cats in your life and ensure they can always find their way home to you.