The importance of cat ID tags

You might think that it can never happen to your cat. Your cat stays indoors. But doors and windows are not escape proof. Once your cat is lost, it is now at the mercy of the environment. In fact, just two percent of cats turned into shelters are reunited with their owners.

Why the low return rate? Time is the critical factor. Most lost cats are found less than a mile from home, but many are never returned because the owner could not be reached immediately. Therefore, the faster you can be contacted, the greater your chances are of being reunited with your "best friend." If there is no tracking system in place, your cat stands little chance. If the person that finds your lost cat has difficulty with the system and is unable to reach you quickly, he may just move on. Many individuals finding a lost cat will, at best, provide care for a short period before they decide to keep the cat, or let the cat go. If your cat is turned into a shelter and you are unaware, it will get a new home or be put to sleep.

Cat identification tags

To help insure a lost cat’s safe and speedy return, all cats should have a collar – but for physical safety, your cat should wear a breakaway collar model (one with an elasticized section enabling your cat to slip out of the collar if it gets caught on something.)
On the collar should be an up-to-date pet ID tag with current contact information. This will provide the person finding your lost cat with the basic information necessary to reach you. Studies show that the first thing that someone will do, when they find a lost cat, is to look for a tag. Although there is no perfect protection, the pet ID tag is the most widely accepted method for tracking lost pets, and stainless steel pet ID tags are the most reliable. No matter what system you use (pet ID tag, microchipping, or tattooing, etc.) your cat’s information must be up to date.

Any tracking system should be as easy as possible for you and the person that finds your cat, to help get your cat back home. Direct contact with the person that finds your cat works best! The system should be:

• Easily accessible
• Easy to update with your and your cat’s information
• Available 24/7 and have an 800 number back up

Pet lD tags are a must and the first level of protection for your cat. Although collars and tags are very reliable, they can be lost or misplaced. Therefore, you may also want to look at other safety options that can be used in conjunction with a pet ID tag. Two of the most effective methods are microchips and tattoos. Remember that microchips or tattoo numbers must be listed with the proper registry, and it is important that you keep the registry up to date with current phone numbers and addresses, so you can be contacted should your missing cat be found.

Also, while microchipping and tattooing are valuable backups, they do not replace the need for a pet ID tag and are not intended to quickly return your cat to you. If the individual finding a lost cat realizes that the cat has a microchip, they must then find and travel with that pet to an appropriate location (vet, shelter, etc.), where the microchip can be scanned or the tattoo number checked in a registry. These methods are valuable to shelters that might recover a cat with no pet ID tag, or a basic tag with out of date information, and thus would have no other way to contact the owner.