Tag: safety

Cat under an umbrella in the rain
Cat Care

Disaster Preparedness for Cats: How to Keep Your Pet Safe in an Emergency

mehshadoweye

Meredith Hemphill

mehshadoweye

Encyclopaedia Felidae now has a Patreon! Go to www.patreon.com/EncyclopaediaFelidae if you want to help support this content!

It’s the middle of hurricane season, and we just had a line of severe thunderstorms and tornados go through last Monday. Yesterday I saw a picture of someone looking for a lost cat in the ashes of their house on Maui. An emergency can happen any time, so we all need to think about disaster preparedness for our cats. What is the plan in case of a fire, flood, earthquake, or any other worst-case scenario? I hope you and your pets never have to face anything like that, but sometimes it happens. All we can do is be prepared.

“Hope you got your things together…looks like we’re in for nasty weather.”

Be Ready Before Something Happens

If there’s an emergency, you may need to move your cat to a safe room or even evacuate your home. At the very least, you’ll need to know where your pets are. So, step #1: make sure you have a carrier for every animal [2, 3, 8, 9]. A cat (or dog) carrier needs to be big enough for them to comfortably stand, lie down, and turn around in [1, 9]. You’ll also want to get your cat comfortable with being in the carrier [9, 10]. Similar to crate training dogs, you want your cat to feel like the carrier is a safe den and not just the place you shove them when scary things happen.

There’s not a one-size-fits-all method here, but things you can try include: putting a cozy blanket in the carrier, giving treats or feeding your cat inside, incorporating the carrier in playtime, and draping a towel over the carrier to make it cozier. Make sure you leave the carriers somewhere your cats can hang out in them regularly [9]. Label every carrier with your pet’s name, your name, and your contact information [3, 6, 5].

Gray kitten hiding under sofa
Block the unders to avoid this during a crisis – Image by Alexander Alehin from Pixabay

Even if your cat is used to their carrier, they might still be scared during a real emergency, so expect to have to catch your cat. That being said, it helps to pre-emptively “block the unders,” in the words of cat behaviorist Jackson Galaxy. This means under the bed, under the dresser, under the sofa–all those hidey-holes cats can get into that we can’t get them out of easily, if at all. Find a way to block those off so that if you need to quickly grab your cat and go, you don’t have to try to crawl under the furniture looking for a terrified house panther. [9]

Despite our best efforts, our pets still get lost sometimes, especially during the chaos of a disaster. So, it’s important that your pet has identification, too. The best way to make sure that a lost cat is returned to you is to have them microchipped [6, 9]. Get your cats microchipped as soon as possible–most vets will do it during their spay/neuter surgery–and keep your contact information up-to-date with the microchip service [1-3, 6, 8-10]. If your cat will wear a collar, make sure they’re wearing correct tags including your contact info and any serious medical needs [1-3, 6]. Only use breakaway collars with cats.

Make sure you have a pet rescue alert sticker posted on a front window or somewhere near the door of your home [3, 4, 9]. These tell first responders that there animals in the house, what kind, and how many, so that they know to look for them [3, 4, 9]. You can order a sticker for free from the ASPCA. If you evacuate and have time on the way out, write EVACUATED over the sticker in permanent marker so no one wastes valuable time looking for animals that have been safely removed already [3, 4].

Pack Your Cat’s Disaster Preparedness Kit

Having an emergency kit packed and ready to grab and go will save you a great deal of time and stress if disaster strikes. You’ve probably heard recommendations for packing an emergency bag for yourself, but you should have one for your cats, too [1-10]. If you have a car or other reliable transport, pack a tough, waterproof box (like a storage bin with handles) that you can load up and take with you. If not, use something like a duffel bag or backpack that you can carry. Have one of those on hand even if you plan to drive, just in case that ceases to be possible.

Here’s a list of, ideally, everything to put in your pet emergency kit:

  • Important documents: identification papers like adoption records and microchip number; medical records; contact information for you, other potential caretakers, and your veterinarian; recent photo(s), preferably with both you and your pet
  • Food and bottled water for at least three days
  • Food and water bowls (collapsible ones save space), manual can opener if needed
  • 2 weeks-1 month supply of any medications
  • 1 month of parasite preventative
  • Cat litter and disposable litter trays (aluminum roasting pans and shallow cardboard boxes work)
  • Trash bags
  • Disinfectant, dish soap, paper towels
  • Pet first aid kit
  • Familiar blanket or bed
  • Familiar toy(s)
  • Grooming supplies, if your cat needs them
  • Harness and leash, if you walk your cat

Remember to periodically replace items in your emergency kit that expire, like food and medications. Below are downloads for pet emergency kit checklists from the Red Cross, American Veterinary Medical Association, and ASPCA, if you’re a checklist person like me. The ASPCA one is specifically for cats.

Red Cross Pet Safety Kit Checklist Download
AVMA Pet Evacuation Kit Checklist Download
ASPCA Disaster Planning for Cats Download

Know Where You Can Go with Pets

Cat under umbrella in the rain
Image by준모 강 from Pixabay

Having a well-considered plan is key to disaster preparedness, especially with cats. Figure out now what room in your home you will hole up in if you are sheltering in place [2, 6]. Make sure you could close off all the exits and keep your cat in that space with you if necessary [2]. In case you need to send pets away for a while, find out which family, friends, and neighbors are able and willing to care for them [2, 3, 6, 10]. Also look for veterinary clinics, boarding facilities, and animal shelters that will house pets during emergencies [1-3, 6]. You can try asking your veterinarian for suggestions [3].

If you have to evacuate, always take your pets with you [2, 3]. If it isn’t safe for you, it isn’t safe for them [3]. That being said, a lot of places won’t allow you to stay with your pets, including a lot of Red Cross rescue shelters [3, 6, 8]. Keep a list of nearby hotels, motels, and shelters that allow cats [1-3, 6, 10]. If you think an evacuation might be coming, go ahead and make a reservation [1].

Resources for cat-friendly hotels:

Be Aware of Unusual Hazards

During and after a disaster, the environment is likely to be very different than your cat is used to. Familiar smells and landmarks may be gone [2, 6]. There can be all kinds of debris about as well as spilled chemicals and contaminated water [2, 6]. Wildlife can show up in strange places [6]. If your cat normally goes outside, don’t let them out there until you are sure it’s safe [2, 6]. Make sure you check your own space for unexpected hazards, too [2, 6]. Your cat may behave differently from all the stress [2, 6]. They may become more withdrawn or aggressive [2, 6]. Just be gracious with them. Cats love routine, so it helps a lot to get them back to their daily rhythms as soon as possible [9].

Sources

  1. Adams, B. W. (n.d.). Pet disaster preparedness. The Humane Society of the United States. https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/pet-disaster-preparedness
  2. American Humane. (n.d.). Pet disaster preparedness. https://www.americanhumane.org/fact-sheet/pet-disaster-preparedness/
  3. American Red Cross. (n.d.). Pet disaster preparedness. https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/pet-disaster-preparedness.html
  4. American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. (n.d.). Disaster preparedness. https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/general-pet-care/disaster-preparedness
  5. American Veterinary Medical Association. (n.d.). Pets and disasters. https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/pet-owners/emergency-care/pets-and-disasters
  6. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, September 14). Pet safety in emergencies. https://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/keeping-pets-and-people-healthy/emergencies.html
  7. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023, January 31). Pet disaster preparedness kit. https://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/keeping-pets-and-people-healthy/emergencies/pet-disaster-prep-kit.html
  8. Department of Homeland Security. (2023, June 16). Prepare your pets for disasters. Ready. https://www.ready.gov/pets
  9. Galaxy, J. (2022, May 28). The cat emergency prep checklist. Jackson Galaxy. https://www.jacksongalaxy.com/blogs/news/the-cat-emergency-prep-checklist
  10. International Fund for Animal Welfare. (n.d.). Pet emergency kit plan: Be #disasterready. https://www.ifaw.org/campaigns/pet-emergency-preparedness-kit-plan

Published August 13th, 2023

Science

Do Cats Always Land on Their Feet?

mehshadoweye

Meredith Hemphill

mehshadoweye

Encyclopaedia Felidae now has a Patreon! Go to www.patreon.com/EncyclopaediaFelidae if you want to help support this content!

Ginger cat jumping off fence
Photo by Dmitry Egorov on Pexels

The short answer is, no, cats don’t always land on their feet. But they do have a remarkable knack for it. They start to develop the uncanny trait by the time they’re three-week-old kittens [7]! And it’s not just domestic cats–wild felines, even big cats like tigers and leopards, can do it, too [3]. Humans have been mystified by this ability for centuries, at least [4]. Most of us aren’t that graceful. Neither are our dogs, horses, guinea pigs, and other pets. So how do our cats land on their feet?

Born to Fall

Cats and many other felines are arboreal animals [3, 6]. This means that in the wild, they spend most of their time in trees. Arboreal animals obviously have to be good at climbing, but they also have to be good at falling [6]. It’s an inevitable danger of life in the trees. So cats have several adaptations to help them fall gracefully. Cats have a high ratio of surface area to body weight, so when they fall, they create a lot of drag and fall more slowly than many other animals [3, 6]. A falling cat instinctively spreads out their legs like a parachute to slow their descent even more [2, 6, 8]. Cats also have relatively long, muscular legs and springy joints that act as shock absorbers [3, 6]. But, of course, that only works when cats land on their feet. This brings us to a particularly complex adaptation, the aerial righting reflex.

The Aerial Righting Reflex

“Photographs of a Tumbling Cat,” 1894 – Image from Public Domain Review

All creatures that live in trees have an aerial righting reflex [6]. The aerial righting reflex describes the ability of these animals to know which way is down while falling and to reorient their bodies to land upright [3-6]. Cats can even execute this maneuver while blindfolded [4]. Physicists and biologists conducted experiments by dropping cats (and sometimes other animals) under various circumstances for centuries, trying to understand how they did it [4]. Then in 1894, the French physiologist Étienne-Jules Marey used an early slow-motion photography technique to photograph a falling cat, finally revealing the series of precise twisting motions that cats use to turn themselves right-way-up [4, 5].

DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME. My mother has admitted to trying the cat-dropping experiment on the family cat when she and my uncle were kids, and during my research I stumbled upon many online videos of people doing the same. I’m sure countless cats have survived such “tests” without injury, but it’s not worth the risk that something might go wrong this time, and your cat gets hurt.

For the aerial righting reflex, cats rely on the semicircular canals deep inside their ears [1, 4, 8]. These tiny, fluid-filled tubes are what many animals use to sense the pull of gravity and to maintain their balance, including humans. If a cat’s semicircular canals are damaged, they can no longer right themselves in the air, even if they can see their surroundings [4]. Using the information from these inner ear structures, the cat’s brain quickly establishes which way is up vs. down. Then they employ some physics.

Some Physics

The angular momentum of a spinning object is a function of its mass, the distribution of that mass, and its rotation rate. If no outside force acted upon the object, the angular momentum wouldn’t change. This is why a figure skater spins faster when they pull their arms tight against their body. They are decreasing the distribution of their mass, but their mass itself can’t change, so their rotation speed must increase. This is the principle behind how cats flip themselves around in midair. [4, 5]

The first step of the aerial righting reflex, then, is for a cat to arch their back, which for physics purposes separates their body into two rotating halves. Then they rotate their head to get their front half spinning and extend their hind legs. Tucking in their front legs causes their front half to rotate quickly. To conserve their angular momentum, their back half will start to rotate in the opposite direction around its axis, but with their hind legs stuck out, it rotates more slowly. Extending the front legs stops the rotation of that half of their body. The back legs catch up, and after about 1.5 seconds, kitty has turned all the way around to land on her four paws. [4, 5]

If you find that explanation hard to follow…me too. I had to read it about ten times and look at the diagrams in chapter seven of Falling Felines and Fundamental Physics to figure it out [4]. Looking at Marey’s photograph series and watching videos like the one below helped, too.

The righting reflex in slow motion

High Rise Syndrome

On the subject of cats mostly landing on their feet, I want to tell you about high rise syndrome. With the literal rise of urban life building taller and taller apartment complexes, cats and other pets sometimes fall off of balconies and out of windows [2, 3, 6, 8]. Cats have great survival skills, but nothing in nature equipped them to think about clear glass or twenty-story buildings [2]. They’re instincts evolved to climbs trees, not concrete jungles. Unfortunately, because cats are particularly inclined to climb and pounce at birds, they are also especially likely to experience these falls [2, 8]. The term high rise syndrome can refer either to the phenomenon of cats falling from tall buildings [8] or to veterinarians’ and researchers’ curious observation that cats tend to have better outcomes when falling from higher stories than lower ones [2].

The research isn’t entirely consistent, but there are indications beyond the anecdotal evidence of veterinarians that it might be true, at least sometimes [8]. The most dangerous falls are generally said to be between the second and sixth stories (20-60 ft or 6-18 m). A fall from the first story is hardly even a fall, especially for a cat. But why would they be in less danger about the sixth story? Experts believe that when cats fall from just a few stories, they don’t have enough time to complete the aerial righting reflex, so they may land in awkward positions that cause greater injury [2].

Of course, there is a height at which the benefit of the reflex wouldn’t be enough, but for obvious reasons no one has experimented to find out exactly what that height is. We do know that cats can survive thirty-story falls, often with severe injuries [2]. However, a 1987 study in New York City of cats brought to a veterinarian after falls from high-rises found that not only did 90% survive, but one cat that fell thirty-two stories suffered only a chipped tooth and a collapsed lung [6]. A study published in 2004 which looked at 119 cats that fell from apartment buildings and were brought to a clinic in Zagreb, Croatia, found that the most common injury was a broken leg [8].

Preventing Your Cat from Falling

The researchers in the 2004 study also found that younger cats fell more often which makes sense, because kittens and young cats are more energetic, more curious, and less aware of the world’s dangers [8]. They reported that 65% of high-rise falls happened in the warmest months, from April-September [8]. Other research has shown the same thing: the warm spring/summer season leads to more incidents of high rise syndrome [2, 8]. This happens because people tend to open windows and balcony doors when it’s warm out [2, 8]. So either keep your doors and windows closed or put screens on them, especially if your cat is a youngster [2, 8]! And always keep an eye on kitty if you let them go out on the balcony. Outside time is great, but that’s not a safe place for a cat to be unsupervised.

In 2014, Gizmo survived a 12-story fall from his Manhattan apartment. He has a lot to say about it.

Works Cited

  1. Alderton, D. (1992). Cats: The visual guide to more than 250 types of cats from around the world. Dorling Kindersley Ltd. London.
  2. Becker, M. and Spadafori, G. (2006). Do cats always land on their feet? 101 of the most perplexing questions answered about feline unfathomables, medical mysteries & befuddling behaviors. Health Communications, Inc. Deerfield Beach, FL.
  3. Bondi Vet. (n.d.). Why do cats always land on their feet? https://www.bondivet.com/promo/cats-land-on-their-feet
  4. Gbur, G. (2019). The cat righting reflex. In Falling felines and fundamental physics. Yale University Press. New Haven, CT.
  5. Kesten, P. (2018, June 1). Why do cats always land on their feet? Santa Clarita University. https://www.scu.edu/illuminate/thought-leaders/phil-kesten/why-do-cats-always-land-on-their-feet.html
  6. Nasaw, D. (2012, March 25). Who, what, why: How do cats survive falls from great heights? BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-17492802
  7. Sechzera, J. A., Folsteina, S. E., Geigera, E. H., Mervisa, R. F., et al. (1984). Development and maturation of postural reflexes in normal kittens. Experimental Neurology, 86(3), 493–505. doi:10.1016/0014-4886(84)90084-0
  8. Vnuk, D., Pirkić, B., Matičić, D., Radišić, B., et al. (2004). Feline high-rise syndrome: 119 cases (1998–2001). Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 6(5), 305–312. doi:10.1016/j.jfms.2003.07.001

Published June 11th, 2023

Cat Care

Are Essential Oils Safe for Your Cat?

mehshadoweye

Meredith Hemphill

mehshadoweye

Encyclopaedia Felidae now has a Patreon! Go to www.patreon.com/EncyclopaediaFelidae if you want to help support this content!

Essential oils and candle
Photo by Chelsea shapouri on Unsplash

Essential oils are a popular tool for home wellness and perfumery. Not only can they be bought bottled, but essential oils are now found in many personal care, cleaning, and scented products. We know that some substances which are safe for humans can be toxic to our pets, like certain foods, so should oil enthusiasts with cats be concerned?

Essential Oil Toxicity in Cats

The Swiss physician and alchemist Paracelsus is credited with the saying, “The dose makes the poison.” If taken the wrong way or in too great a quantity, essential oils are toxic to humans. Consider how much smaller your cat is than you [7, 9, 10, 14]. Their biology isn’t quite the same, either. Nature didn’t intend cats to consume a lot of plant materials. They have lower levels of the liver enzymes necessary to metabolize chemicals called phenols and terpenes that are found in certain essential oils [1-5, 9, 12]. The following oils are known to be toxic to cats:

  • Cinnamon
  • Citrus (lemon, lime, orange, bergamot)
  • Clove
  • Eucalyptus
  • Pennyroyal
  • Peppermint
  • Pine
  • Sweet Birch
  • Tea Tree/Melaleuca
  • Wintergreen
  • Ylang Ylang

Research on the effects of essential oils on cats is sparse, so there is no guarantee that oils which are not on this list are safe [5, 10]. Individual cats could be sensitive to oils that most cats are not, as well [7]. Therefore, use caution when trying out any essential oil around your cat for the first time.

The symptoms of essential oil toxicity in cats depend upon the oil, the dose, and the method of exposure, but there are things you can look out for. Common symptoms are watery nose or eyes, drooling, vomiting, difficulty breathing, tremors, wobbliness, low heart rate, and low body temperature [2-5, 8, 9, 12, 13]. In severe cases, essential oil poisonings can cause liver failure and death [2-5, 8, 12]. While there is no specific cure for essential oil toxicity, most cats recover well with supportive care such as bathing to remove the oil, intravenous fluids, medication, and heat [4, 5, 8, 12].

How To Keep Cats Safe Around Essential Oils

Tabby cat in box with bottles
Image by mrscaz from Pixabay

Cats may be exposed to oils by inhalation, absorption through the skin, or ingestion. Because of their fastidious grooming habits, cats are likely to ingest any oils that end up on their fur [2, 3, 5, 9-12]. You can use essential oils safely in a home with cats. You just need to be careful and keep all the possible routes of exposure in mind.

Cats may inhale essential oils that are aerosolized from lit scented candles, liquid potpourri, air fresheners, diffusers, or similar. Whenever you are using one of these products around your cat, make sure that your cat is able to leave the area if it gets to be too much for them [7, 9, 10]. Watch for signs of respiratory irritation like coughing, panting, or watery eyes and nose [3, 10]. If your cat shows symptoms, move them to fresh air immediately and bring them to a veterinarian if their condition does not improve within a few minutes [3, 9].

If your cat has asthma, allergies, or other respiratory conditions or is exposed to second-hand smoke, it is best not to diffuse essential oils or use essential oil-containing products that put particles into the air [3, 5, 9].

Always keep essential oils and products that contain them out of your cat’s reach, especially in the case of open diffusers or warmers. Cats are often repelled by the smell of substances that are toxic to them, but not always, and there have been cases of cats drinking essential oils [9]. Keeping oils, diffusers, etc. away from cats also prevents curious kitties from knocking over or breaking said containers and spilling the oil all over themself which can be very dangerous.

Of course, use extra caution with the essential oils that are known to be toxic to cats. And never apply concentrated essential oils to your cat’s skin or fur. Don’t use oils on your cat at all without consulting a veterinarian first.

Can Essential Oils Be Good for Cats?

That being said, there are times when essential oils can be used for your pet’s benefit. Unfortunately, as with oil toxicity, the research is scarce, so little can be said for certain. Proponents of using essential oils for pets say that they can be used to heal wounds and abscesses; get rid of fleas, ticks, and ear mites; treat upper respiratory infections; and treat Otitis externa, a.k.a. canker of the ear [1, 7, 10]. Sadly, irresponsible use of oils, particularly tea tree oil, for these purposes has caused suffering and occasionally death for the cats of well-meaning owners [4, 8, 13]. However, what little research there is has demonstrated that when used properly, certain essential oils show promise for the treatment of several conditions oil enthusiasts have claimed they do.

Ebani et al. found that the essential oils of oregano, clary sage, and rosemary showed promise in the treatment of Otitis externa, depending upon the strain of bacteria or fungus that caused it [6]. In testing plant oils against a fungus that causes ringworm, Mugnaini et al. determined that the oils of oregano and wild thyme showed strong antifungal activity [11]. Regarding ear mites, a study of ear mites in cats found garlic oil, marjoram oil, and ozonated olive oil to be effective at reducing the infestation [15]. While the oils were not as effective as the pharmaceutical medication, the authors concluded that they were “cheap, easily applicable, and safe alternatives to conventional treatments with no side effects” [15].

Works Cited

  1. Baser, K. H. C. & Franz, C. (2010). Essential oils used in veterinary medicine. In K. H. C. Baser & G Buchbauer (Eds.), Handbook of essentials oils: Science, technology, and applications (pp. 881-894). Taylor and Francis Group: Boca Raton, FL.
  2. Beck, A. (2019, August 30). Is it safe to use essential oils with cats? University Veterinary Hospital. https://uvhvets.com/is-it-safe-to-use-essential-oils-with-cats/
  3. Benson, K. (n.d.). Essential oils and cats. Pet Poison Helpline. https://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/blog/essential-oils-cats/
  4. Bischoff, K. & Guale, F. (1998). Australian tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) oil poisoning in three purebred cats. Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation, 10, 208-210. DOI: 10.1177/104063879801000223
  5. Cavanaugh, K. & Kornya, M. (2018, July 31). Cats and essential oils. Canadian Veterinary Medical Association. https://www.canadianveterinarians.net/documents/cats-and-essential-oils
  6. Ebani, V. V., Nardoni, S., Bertelloni, F., Najar, B., Pistelli, L., & Mancianti, F. (2017). Antibacterial and antifungal activity of essential oils against pathogens responsible for Otitis Externa in dogs and cats. Medicines, 4(2), 21. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicines4020021
  7. Essential oils a pets: A quick how-to. (2019, October 25). Young Living. https://www.youngliving.com/blog/essential-oils-for-pets-a-quick-how-to/
  8. Genovese, A. G., McLean, M., & Khan, S. A. (2012). Adverse reactions from essential oil-containing natural flea products exempted from Environmental Protection Agency regulations in dogs and cats. Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care, 22(4), 470-475. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1476-4431.2012.00780.x
  9. Howard, B. (2020, August 24). How to keep cats safe around essential oils. Daily Paws. https://www.dailypaws.com/cats-kittens/health-care/cat-poisoning-toxins/essential-oils-safe-for-cats
  10. How I use essential oils safely for my pets. And you can, too! (n.d.). Capital Illini Veterinary Services. https://www.capitolillinivet.com/blog/how-i-use-essential-oils-safely-for-my-pets-and-you-can-too/
  11. Mugnaini, L., Nardoni, S., Pinto, L., Pistelli, L., Leonardi, M., Pisseri, F., et al. (2012). Activité antifongique de quelques huiles essentielles de plantes in vitro et in vivo sur Microsporum canis isolé chez le chat. Journal de Mycologie Médicale, 22(2), 179-184. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mycmed.2012.04.003
  12. Schmid, R., Brutlag, A., & Flint, C. (n.d.). Essential oil and liquid potpourri poisoning in cats. VCA Hospitals. https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/essential-oil-and-liquid-potpourri-poisoning-in-cats
  13. Villar, D., Knight, M. J., Hansen, S. R., & Buck, W. B. (1994). Toxicity of melaleuca oil and related essential oils applied topically on dogs and cats. Veterinary and Human Toxicology, 36(2), 139-142. https://europepmc.org/article/med/8197716
  14. Worwood, V. A. (2016). The complete book of essential oils and aromatherapy (25th anniversary edition). New World Library: Novato, CA.
  15. Yipel, F. A., Acar, A., & Yipel, M. (2016). Effect of some essential oils (Allium sativum L., Origanum majorana L.) and ozonated olive oil on the treatment of ear mites (Otodectes cynotis) in cats. Turkish Journal of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, 40, 782-787. DOI: 10.3906/vet-1508-10

Published January 9, 2022

Cat Care

How Does a Microchip Keep Your Cat Safe?

mehshadoweye

Meredith Hemphill

mehshadoweye

Encyclopaedia Felidae now has a Patreon! Go to www.patreon.com/EncyclopaediaFelidae if you want to help support this content!

Microchip beside rice grain
A microchip is about the size of a grain of rice – Image from HowStuffWorks

There’s a good chance you have heard a story about a pet that was reunited with their owner thanks to their microchip. Everyone loves a heartwarming tale of a family made whole again. But the stories don’t tell you everything about microchipping. Whether your pet is already microchipped or you are trying to make that decision, you probably have questions. It isn’t as straightforward as a collar and tags. Fortunately, it isn’t rocket science, either, so get ready to demystify the microchip.

What Is a Microchip?

Pet microchips are teeny tiny electronic devices implanted just beneath the skin of an animal. Although we may think of them as something for cats and dogs, microchips can also be placed in other animals such as laboratory rodents, cattle, and horses (1). The devices are only about the size of a grain of rice. They don’t contain a battery or other power source (1, 2). Rather, they are RFID chips that contain a unique identification number (2). When a scanner is passed over the chip, the chip is briefly activated and sends back the ID number (1-3). Because there is no battery and no moving parts, the microchip never corrodes, loses power, or wears out (1, 2). It should last a pet’s entire life.

What a Microchip Is Not

There are a few common misconceptions about what microchips are/can do. First, a microchip is not a tracking device (1-3). It does not contain GPS technology or anything else that can keep tabs on your pet’s location (1-3, 6). Second, your pet’s microchip is not an external data storage device (1, 2). The only information the chip can store is its ID number (1-3). It does not track your personal information or your pet’s medical information (1, 2). When someone scans the chip, all they see is that number. If the microchip is registered in a database, they will be able to request your contact information. More on that later.

How Is a Microchip Placed?

A cat gets their microchip placed in the loose skin between their shoulder blades (2, 3). The chip is injected with a syringe a bit larger than the ones used for vaccinations (1). No anesthetic is required, and the procedure can be performed at a routine veterinary appointment (1-3). To your cat, it feels much like any other shot (1, 3). However, if your cat happens to be undergoing a surgical procedure anyway, i.e. sterilization, then the microchipping can be done at the same time (1).

If you adopt a cat from a shelter or purchase one from a breeder, there is a possibility they may already have a microchip (1, 3, 5). Although it won’t hurt a cat to be microchipped twice, there’s no need (1). Any animal shelter should already have checked for a microchip, so just ask. If you adopted a cat a while ago and don’t remember, you can call the shelter to check or have your vet scan your cat for one. They will typically do that free of charge (4, 5).

Why Are Microchips Important?

The way a microchip works is that the identification numbers are stored in databases maintained by the manufacturers and other organizations. Pet owners input their contact information–and more, if they choose–to the database in connection with their pet’s unique chip number. Then, if the pet becomes lost, and someone finds them and take them to a shelter, vet clinic, or animal control center, staff can scan for the microchip. Staff then look up the ID number and retrieve the owner’s contact information from the database. If that information is up-to-date, kitty and family can be reunited!

Before microchips, collars and tags were around for a long time, so why the high-tech upgrade? Actually, it is best practice to use both (1, 2). A collar and tags quickly show people that an outdoor or lost cat has an owner (1). A rabies tag should be included to assure all who meet your cat that it is safe to be around and in compliance with the law, if applicable (1). Plus, a tag with your contact info can greatly expedite your lost cat’s return to you–or prevent your outdoor cat from going to the shelter in the first place (1). However, cats should always wear a breakaway collar, which can obviously come off. Tags can become worn and unreadable, and cat thieves can just take the whole thing off and throw it away. But a microchip is a permanent means of identification (1, 2).

Lord et al found that lost cats without microchips were returned to their owners only 1.8% of the time (1, 6). For cats with microchips, however, the rate of successful reunions was twenty times higher (1, 4, 6)! When cats with microchips couldn’t be reconnected with their owners, it was usually because the information in the database was missing or out-of-date (1). So do not skip the section below!

How to Use Your Cat’s Microchip

Registration and Updating

A microchip is little more than a hunk of metal until you register it. Before you begin, you will need to have your cat’s microchip number and the chip’s manufacturer on hand. If you don’t have that information anywhere, ask the clinic that implanted the chip. If your pet came pre-chipped, find a veterinarian, animal control, shelter, or pet store that can scan the chip and tell you. Then you will need to go online to register the chip with a database. The obvious choice would be the database maintained by the microchip’s manufacturer. There is usually an initial cost and sometimes a periodic fee associated with these databases, however. If the cost is prohibitive, there are a handful of reputable free databases you can use instead, such as Found Animals.

If you are in the United States, it is important that you use a database which is linked to the American Animal Hospital Association’s Universal Pet Microchip Lookup Tool (4). There are international registries associated with the Universal Pet Microchip Lookup Tool as well. Go here for the full list of registries that participate. A lot of places use the AAHA’s tool to check a microchip number in many databases at once (4).

Once you are on your chosen database’s website, you will need to register a new microchip using your cat’s microchip number and probably another identifier, such as an email address or phone number. Then it’s time to input your contact information. Some services give the option to include more, such as a photo of your pet, their medical information, a description, etc. The service I use for Joon’s microchip can generate a digital Lost Pet poster if you report your pet to them as lost and send out an email alert to other members of the database in your area. If all you want to do is put in your contact info, most services will also let you opt out of the other bells and whistles.

You will need to return to the website and log back in to update your information any time it changes, like if you move or get a new phone number (4, 5). You may also be able to do this over the phone with the registry, but your veterinarian cannot do it for you.

Microchip Extras

If your cat is microchipped, you have the option to incorporate various microchip-compatible devices into your cat’s life. There are feeders which sync with your cat’s microchip and only allow that particular cat to put their head in (6). These can be good for monitoring food intake or multipet homes where making sure no one gets into each others’ food is a priority (6). There are also cat doors that only open for the cat with the synced microchip, keeping out any unwanted guests (6). I don’t know how those work in multicat households, but I’m sure someone has thought of that. So microchips come in handy even if your kitty never gets lost even for a minute.

Works Cited

  1. American Veterinary Medical Association. (n.d.). Microchipping of animals FAQ. AVMA. https://www.avma.org/microchipping-animals-faq
  2. Get the facts on microchipping: Separate microchipping facts from fiction. (n.d.). HomeAgain. https://www.homeagain.com/microchipping-facts.html
  3. Burgos, S. (2020, August 24). Everything you need to know about microchipping your cat. Daily Paws. https://www.dailypaws.com/cats-kittens/cat-safety-tips/microchip-cat
  4. Kelley, T. L. (2021, July 8). Updated your pet’s microchip contact info lately? It’s easy. Daily Paws. https://www.dailypaws.com/dogs-puppies/dog-safety-tips/pet-microchip-lookup
  5. Nicholas, J. (2021, July 8). Is you pet’s microchip registered? Up-to-date? Here’s how to do both. Preventive Vet. https://www.preventivevet.com/dogs/how-to-update-your-pets-microchip
  6. Top 3 reasons why microchipping cats matters. (n.d.). Sure Petcare. https://www.surepetcare.com/en-us/advice-news/top-3-reasons-why-microchipping-cats-matters

Published July 25, 2021