Schaumberg, Il, American Veterinary Medical Association, 2007.It would have been like a scene from a horror movie (like those ones where you realize there is a stranger in your house) – if she wasn’t so darn cute.There have been reports that in a minuscule number of cases microchipping has caused at least temporary paralysis.Again, the already low likelihood of this is further reduced if the procedure is done by someone properly qualified to do it, i.e., someone who won’t botch the job by implanting the chip too close to the spine.If you find any such moral or religious objections to microchipping persuasive, that’s a personal matter that is for you to decide.Your pet is not subjected to any radio waves if it has a chip.Probably the most significant evidence is that studies using certain types of rats and mice have shown a higher incidence of cancer in those that were microchipped than in those that were not, but those animals do not have similar biological systems as cats.The fact that this cat was so calm (calm enough to wander into our home and help herself to some grub), I assumed she belonged to someone.What’s the point, you might be thinking, of this futuristic, fancy schmancy technology, when the option of a simple tag worn on a collar already provides the owner contact information so that a lost pet can be returned?Ultimately, you decide where you spend your money.In addition to the different frequencies, some of the microchips are encrypted.The procedure costs less than most people would guess.It could be argued that a tag is not only just as good as a microchip but better.A microchip is permanent in a way that tags are not.In the end, you might decide that the best way to cover all your bases is to microchip your cat and to have it wear an identification tag.So a good case can be made that even an indoor cat ought to be microchipped.I caught a glimpse of something coming in the door and because we also have a brown-haired cat, I assumed it was her.However, in countries where ISO technology is used, the reunification rate is much higher. A European reporting system which monitors reactions to microchip implantation has failed to identify any significant problems in the last 6 years. Chip migration rarely happens but if it does it need not be a cause for alarm. Elevated death rates in shelters under mandate have been observed. Javma 231:384-392, 2007.The initial injection of it is a modest pinch that causes about the same amount of passing discomfort as a blood draw.Therefore, US microchip manufacturers do not have to make only 134.2-kHz microchips.It’s fairly small, about the size of a grain of rice and transmits data to a special handheld device.So a stray cat might end up at a vet’s office or shelter, and a scan might reveal that it has a microchip of a certain type with a certain number, but if the owner contact information for that number is obsolete, the cat may never be reunited with its owner.In cases of natural or manmade disasters – tornado, flood, hurricane, fire, etc.