In some German provinces and for travelling abroad animals must be identified with a microchip. We recommend always having cats microchipped and registered with a domestic animal register, which makes it easier to find missing animals.
The microchip is injected under the skin on the left side of the cat's neck. The injection is almost painless for the animal and an anaesthetic is not necessary. The animals can then be identified throughout their life. Each chip has a unique ID number, which should be notified to a domestic animal register.
A reader is needed to read the animal’s chip. The police, vets, animal shelters etc. have one of these devices.
The advantage of chip identification is that it can be done in very young animals and no sedation is needed. The disadvantages are that it can’t be seen from the animal whether it has a chip and the ID number can’t be read without a reader. A microchip can also move under the skin over time and migrate to a different part of the body. This can be detrimental as the chip is then harder to find.
For free-roaming cats, it can make sense to combine the chip with tattooing in the ear.
Pure chip identification is not yet everything. You should also consider registering your pet free of charge with the TASSO domestic animal register. The code is stored in the TASSO database together with the animal’s and owner’s details. This is the only way to ensure that your pet can be brought back to you quickly and unbureaucratically should it go missing. As soon as your application has been received at TASSO and your details are recorded, your pet is optimally protected if it escapes. When it is found, TASSO will contact you promptly so that you can hug your pet again as soon as possible.
You can find out more about the TASSO concept at: https://www.tasso.net/Tierregister/Das-TASSO-Prinzip Or register your pet right away online: https://www.tasso.net/Tierregister/Tier-registrieren
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