Would You Find Your Cat After Nine Months?

Peggy Rowland — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:18:44 +0000

As we enter summer, a time when more pets may be outdoors and more weather events may occur, it’s a good time to think about pet identification.

First, I’m a firm believer in collars with ID tags, even for indoor cats and dogs. You never know when an emergency may occur that separates you from your pet. Collars are great because they offer immediate ID. However, they can fall off or be destroyed.

For permanent pet ID, get a microchip for your pet if you haven’t done so already. If your pet does have a microchip, make sure your address and other contact info is current and you’re enrolled in a national, secure recovery database.

One company offering database services is HomeAgain. Noting the importance of updating your information, Gary MacPhee, Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health, Director, HomeAgain Business Unit, said “Recently, a cat lost in Seattle for nine months was reunited with its owner, even though the owner had relocated to Tucson, Ariz. The owner took the time to update his contact information in the HomeAgain database prior to his departure, so a successful reunion could take place.”

HomeAgain membership includes:

Live Pet Recovery Specialists always available at 1-888-HomeAgain
Lost Pet Alerts with a Lost Pet Poster sent to veterinary clinics, shelters and PetRescuers
24/7 Emergency Medical Telephone Assistance
Medical Insurance for Lost Dogs or Cats, up to $3,000 (less a $50 deductible) offered by PetFirst Healthcare
Travel expenses of up to $500 for dogs or cats found more than 500 miles from home

Your local veterinary clinic can assist you with getting your pet microchipped and tell you how to enroll in a recovery database. Likewise, if you find a lost pet without a collar, your local vet can check for a microchip.