Step 1: A small tag, about as big as a grain of rice, is implanted under your pet’s skin. This saves an ID number, a 10 or 15 digit code that can be read later.

Step 2: You use that code, and register it in a database. Fill in your name, address and contact details.

Step 3: If your pet is lost, a vet or a shelter will read the tag, and take that ID number…

Step 4: Using that number, they’ll look your pet up on the database – and find your contact details!

Step 5: They will contact you, and you’ll be reunited with your pet. 

Pet microchips are tiny devices – about as big as a grain of rice – that store information. They don’t have a battery or source of power – just a chip, an antenna, and a “capacitor” which allows an external device to power the chip when needed.

When an “interrogator” device is used on the chip, it will send harmless radio waves, which the chip will turn into energy.

The chip will then use this energy to emit its unique ID number. This ID number can then be used to identify your pet, and look them up on a pet database. Your contact details will be stored in an online pet database – not on the pet’s microchip!

This means you can update your details whenever needed, such as if you change homes or phone numbers, without having to touch the chip. Updating your details does not require you to go to the vet, or replace the chip. The chip will be safely under your pet’s skin for the rest of their life!

Yes, pet microchips are 100% safe. The devices are small, bio-compatible (allergy-proof), and don’t have any kind of battery or power source. Inserting the chip under your pet’s skin is a very quick, non-invasive process – about the same as delivering a vaccine.

The chip has no parts that need to be maintained or replaced, which means that once it’s inserted, there is no need to touch it again – it’s in there for life. It’s the equivalent of tattooing a barcode on your pet, only even safer. Most importantly, it will enable your pet to be returned to you in case they get lost or stolen.

Microchipping your pet will allow your pet to be returned to you, should they become lost or stolen.

There are pet devices that can be programmed to respond to your pet’s specific chip – such as a pet flap that only lets your pet through, or feeders that only allow one of your pets in (which are very useful if you have multiple pets in the household with different, or even medicated, diets). Having your pet microchipped will open up many technological possibilities.

Microchipping your pet is a legal requirement in many places – including many US cities, and for dogs and cats in the UK. If you plan on traveling internationally, you will likely need to microchip your pet with a standard 15-digit ISO-compliant microchip.

You need to keep your pet’s microchip details up to date. That means you have to update your details every time they change – rather than at a specific time interval.

Always update your pet’s microchip details when moving homes (change your address), getting a new phone (confirm the number is correct), or when changing email address

The pet’s microchip details will also need to be updated if the pet has a new owner. In the process of adopting or buying your pet, you need to ensure the chip has been updated with your details.

Always keep your pet’s microchip details up to date! If your pet is lost or stolen, having an out-of-date phone number or address will make you much harder to contact.

Did you know that it is now a legal requirement in the UK to have your cat microchipped? (It has been mandatory for dogs since 2016.) Owners have until 10 June 2024 to microchip their cat. Failure to comply may incur a fine of up to £500.

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