Microchipping

Thousands of pets are lost every year and many are never reunited with their owners.

The RSPCA believes that the best way to make sure you find a missing pet is to have it microchipped – implanted with a special microchip ‘tag’.

Q. How does microchipping work?

A. Once an animal has been microchipped, it has its own unique code number. The owner’s details and the code are put on to the national Petlog computer database and, if a lost or stolen animal is found, the code will be revealed by passing a scanner over the microchip. Then it’s just a matter of matching the code with the Petlog database to find contact details for the owner.

Q. How can microchipping help to find my pet?

A. The petlog microchipping scheme provides a fast, fool proof means of identifying your animal wherever it is found. The RSPCA, as well as many other animal welfare organisations, vets and local authority dog wardens, have scanners which can read the microchip’s details.

Q. Is microchipping easy to do?

 A. Yes, it’s as simple as an injection. A tiny microchip – the size of a grain of rice – is painlessly inserted under the pet’s skin. Once in place, it cannot move or be seen, but can be read by the scanner.

 Q. Where can I have my pet microchipped?

A. The RSPCA London South East Branch holds free microchipping events for cats and dogs throughout the year. Please check out our events page for forthcoming events.

Neutering

If you don’t neuter your dog you could have problems

• Do you know enough people to take on any puppies your dog might have?
• You may have to deal with angry owners of females if your unneutered male pesters them.
• Controlling an unneutered male can lead to frustration – which can mean barking, bad temper and aggression.

Your dog could suffer

• Testicular cancer can be a risk for unneutered dogs.
• Unneutered males sometimes have violent urges when a bitch on heat is near – they might fight with other dogs and cut injured.
• Unneutered females are at risk from pyometra (an infection of the womb) and mammary tumour when they get older.
• Females suffer unwanted attention from dogs, often much bigger than themselves.
• Females kept inside when they are on heat miss out on exercise and the chance to mix with other dogs.

If you don’t neuter your cat you could have problems

• The RSPCA works hard to find homes for more than 30,000 cats every year. If yours has kittens, do you know enough people to take them on and give them good homes for the rest of their lives?
• Unneutered tomcats are noisy at night – often for hours on end. They are likely to stray from home, sometimes for days at a time, or get into fights.
• Males spray their territory with smelly urine – neutering makes them do this less and the smell is not so bad.

Your cat could suffer

• Unneutered males fight with others, and often get infected wounds, abscesses and serious illness.
• Unneutered cats roam farther than neutered ones – they’re more likely to get lost or have an accident.
• Your cat could get FIV – a very common, incurable disease similar to AIDS – from fighting or mating with another cat that has it. It would then have to be kept in for the rest of its life – or put to sleep – to stop the disease spreading.
• Unneutered cats are bound to get pregnant or make others pregnant – kittens can do this at only four months old.

The RSPCA actively promotes neutering. If you are in receipt of state benefits or a low income and unable to afford to neuter your cat, please visit http://www.cats.org.uk/c4 for details of your nearest participating vet.