This isn't the first time I've received a phone call or email along these lines. I usually see a few common factors:
1. The cat wasn't licensed or microchipped.
2. The cat wasn't fixed.
I've heard every single excuse in the book for an owner not wanting to license, fix or microchip their cat. They didn't know they were supposed to. Their personal opinion is that licensing a cat is just a cash-grab. The cat is an indoor-only cat. They can't afford to fix their cat. And, the best one I've heard so far, They don't want to deny their cat the joy of motherhood. (...What?)
Famed Cat Whisperer, Jackson Galaxy stresses “Spay and neuter your cats. If you haven’t done that and they live in your house ― they’re miserable. Their world is all about reproduction, they’re pissed because they can’t do it, they’re always going to try to get out of the house, and once they get out of the house they’re going to be part of the problem. They’ll get into fights, they’ll get diseases. And if they’re in your
house, they pee on things, they pick fights with other cats. There’s no good reason [not to]. Spay and neuter.”
In the event that your cat does happen to escape, microchips help them get back to you. When a lost/stray/unowned cat is brought to Animal Care and Control, or a vet or a rescue agency, the first thing that is generally done is a scan of the cat, to detect the presence of a microchip. The owner will then be contacted to reunite with their cat. A licensed and microchipped cat will be held at Animal Care and Control for 10 days, while officers attempt to reach the owners. A cat who cannot be identified by tags or a chip will be held for 3 days, after which they are transferred to an adoption partner, such as Edmonton Humane Society, or a local rescue agency, to place the cat for adoption. A cat who is placed for adoption through Edmonton Humane Society will always be spayed or netered and have a microchip, along with some other awesome PURRKS!
A microchip identification tag is a small computer chip containing information linking you to your cat. The chip is inserted subcutaneously (under the skin) with a needle, a procedure which takes only a few minutes. It is common practice to insert the chip, which is non-toxic and about the size of a grain of rice,
between your cat’s shoulder blades. It will not cause your cat discomfort or allergic reactions.
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