AVID® Microchip Identification

Millions of dogs and cats, horses, livestock and birds now carry the AVID® microchip. Wildlife and endangered species, reptiles and even fish are being stufied and managed with the aid of this great technology.

Developed by a veterinarian, the AVID® microchip is safe, permanent and takes only seconds to administer. The tiny injectable “chip” contains a one-of-a kind indentification number and is recognized worldwide.

A special scanner is used to read the microchip through the skin of the animal. The animal feels nothing as the chips’s number quickly appears in the scanner’s viewing window. With a phone call, the registered chip can be traced back to the purchaser if necessary.

When your cat is microchipped, you will receive a collar tag that shows your cat’s unique microchip ID number and the database contact telephone number.

Please visit AVIDmicrochip.com for more information and services.

A close-up image of the microchip, a tiny computer chip comprised of biocompatible material and programmed with a unique identification number read with radio waves from a scanner.

The cost to have your cat microchipped is $55.00, which includes the registration fee.

If you have any questions about the AVID® microchip, please feel free to call or email us!

Update March 2007

The Cat Practice has changed microchip companies from HomeAgain® to AVID® due to HomeAgain® changing their service. The following information will outline the changes made to the HomeAgain® microchip database. If your cat has been microchipped with the HomeAgain® chip, and you have any questions about this, please call or email us.

What was the service before?

In the past, the microchip was implanted, and the owner paid a one-time activation fee of $17.50 to HomeAgain® to register with the national database.

If the cat became lost, the owner was responsible for calling local vets, shelters, and rescues to let them know the pet is missing and may be in the area.

Any stray animal found by a shelter, rescue, or veterinary hospital (all of which have microchip scanners), would be scanned for a microchip. If the scanner picks up a chip, the employee would call the HomeAgain® database, report the number, and the owner was contacted.

What is the service now?

Effective immediately, HomeAgain® has changed the registration cost from a one-time activation fee, to an annual membership fee. In return for annual membership, HomeAgain® is offering more proactive ways to recover lost pets, including:

• Issuing local alerts (like Amber Alert) to all local vets, shelters, and rescues in your area when you call HomeAgain® and report your lost pet.

• Ability to quickly create personalized “Lost Pet” posters with all your cat’s info by logging into your cat’s account on www.homeagain.com and printing the posters at home.

• The facility who finds your cat will receive critical health alerts such as if your cat is diabetic or has kidney disease, etc., and so your cat can have the proper medical treatment (if needed) until he/she is returned to you. 

• You have online access to all your cat’s vaccination records. Printable vaccination info is convenient for emergencies or boarding. 

• You receive a Pet I.D. card which contains your cat’s photo, name, breed, color, weight, age, gender, and vaccination information. You get an updated card every year.

What is the cost of membership?

The initial year will cost $24.99, which includes the $10.00 one-time activation fee and the $14.99 annual membership fee.

After the initial year, the cost is $14.99 per year. Additional pet annual memberships are $9.99 per year.

What if I don’t want to pay an annual fee?

If you’re cat is already microchipped, and you do not wish to pay the annual membership fee, the HomeAgain® service will default back to the old service.

For more information regarding HomeAgain’s® new pet recovery system, please call 1-888-HOMEAGAIN, or go online at www.homeagain.com to edit your cat’s profile and to update your contact information.

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