Why does Carmah microchip our cats before adoption?
A microchip is a tiny device about the size of a grain of rice. The chip contains a permanent numeric identifier. It is implanted in the nape of each Carmah cat’s neck. When you adopt, we associate the number with your contact information.
If your cat is ever lost and subsequently found, it could end up at a veterinarian, with an animal control officer, or at a rescue. All of those organizations have scanners that can read the number. From there, it is easy to look up contact information and – assuming your contact information is up to date, you might get a call! Carmah is usually listed as the backup.
Example
Recently an adopter was momentarily distracted and their brand new cat ran out the front door. We were convinced that the cat was in the woods behind the house and so we prepared to trap it to bring it back indoors. Instead, the cat had run towards the garage, found a car with an open window, and hopped in. The cat’s owner decided to take a trip to Maine to visit her parents. Partway through the journey, she stopped at a rest area. The cat hopped out of the car and was now really lost. A good Samaritan saw the cat, easily caught it, took it to the vet, and had it scanned. Through the chip, Carmah got a phone call and we were able to call the very-relieved owner so that she could retrieve her cat on her way home.