Micro-chipping your pet cat or dog is very important. If your pet becomes lost then you are far more likely to become reunited if he or she is micro-chipped.

What is a microchip and how does it work?

A microchip is a permanent method of electronic identification. The chip itself is very small – about the size of a grain of rice – and is implanted just under the skin, between the shoulder blades at the back of your pet's neck. Each chip has a unique number that is detected using a microchip scanner. The microchip number is recorded on a database registry with details about the animal and owner. Should your pet stray or become lost, vets, animal shelters and local councils can scan your pet for a microchip and contact you via the database.

It is very important to keep your contact details up to date on the database so that if you move house or change your phone number you will still be contactable in the event of your pet becoming lost/stray.

Ideally your pet cat or dog should be micro-chipped prior to you purchasing or adopting your pet. This is the only way to effectively trace the origin of the cat/dog. However, if your pet is not yet micro-chipped then we recommend that you make an appointment to do so with your vet (even in those states where micro-chipping is not yet compulsory).

If a pet is transferred to a new owner, the new owner must ensure their contact details are recorded on the database.

- See more at: http://www.rspca.org.au/campaigns/responsible-pet-owner/micro-chipping#sthash.RdRRReAz.dpuf