How a Microchip Brought My Cat Home After 5 Years, But Yours Might Not

EPISODE TITLE:

How a Microchip Brought My Cat Home After 5 Years, But Yours Might Not

HOST: Amy Castro
GUEST: None (solo episode)
SUMMARY: Amy shares the incredible true story of her barn cat, Pootie, who returned home after five years thanks to a registered microchip. Learn how pet microchips really work, why registration matters, and what steps you can take right now to ensure your pet can always find their way home.
LINKS: thepetparenthotline.com | amy@petparenthotline.com

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES:
• Pet Microchip Lookup – petmicrochiplookup.org

AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE: Some links may be affiliate links, meaning Amy may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through them, at no extra cost to you.
VETERINARY DISCLAIMER: This episode is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional veterinary advice.
TRANSCRIPT NOTE: Lightly edited for clarity and flow.
CHAPTERS (optional):
00:01 Pootie’s Story Begins
02:52 Misconceptions About Microchips
05:21 How Microchips Work
07:43 Why Registration Matters
10:03 How to Check Your Pet’s Chip
12:30 Pootie’s Return and Final Days
14:51 The Five-Minute Microchip Checkup
16:57 Outro and Call to Action

TRANSCRIPT

Amy Castro (00:01.228)
A microchip helped me find my cat five years after she went missing. Yep, five years. In this episode, I'm gonna share the story and what I learned about the misconceptions that so many pet parents have about how microchips work. So stick around because I'm not only going to share those myths and tell you the story. But I'm going to tell you where you can look up your pet's microchip number to see if it's actually registered. And if you don't even know your pet's chip number, I'll tell you how you can find it. So stay tuned.

Amy Castro (00:37.368)
You've reached the Pet Parent Hotline, your lifeline to practical solutions for your toughest pet parenting challenges. I'm your host Amy Castro, and I'm here to help you cut through the noise and turn expert advice into step-by-step strategies so you can stop chasing your tail and start enjoying life with pets again.

Amy Castro (01:02.103)
So when I got the text from my neighbor last month, it wasn't something unusual. Very often we live in the country, animals show up and we'll all text each other and say, is this your cat? Is this your dog? Is this your cow, pony, whatever it might be. So when I walked over to my neighbor's house, I wasn't expecting to see anything familiar. But the reason I even went over there in the first place is because as a rescue, we have a microchip scanner. And I figured, well, if nothing else, I can at least scan this animal, see if it has an owner, and try to get it back where it belongs, because it's not my cat, it's not his cat, whatever the case may be. And when I got over there, there was something about this cat that looked super familiar. And you'd think that you could recognize your own pet, right? But when Pootie disappeared five years ago, she was one of our fattest barn cats. She had a big round head. She had a lot of sass and attitude. And this poor creature that I saw was skin and bones, had cloudy eyes. And in fact, he told me, I think she's completely blind. So I scooped her up. I put her in a carrier to bring her home because I didn't want to risk this cat getting away, whoever it was. And as soon as I got her back to the rescue ranch, I scanned her. And when it beeped, my heart stopped because I thought, gosh, this is like one step closer. And so I called the microchip company. Long story short, and I'll tell you later how all this works, it came back that it was her. She'd been missing for five years. She showed up at my neighbor's, which is probably a mile away, emaciated and completely blind. I mean, it is an amazing story, even if it just ended there. And the only reason that I knew it was her was because of the microchip.

Amy Castro (02:52.929)
So I thought it was a great story, right? And that's why I'm sharing it with you as well. But the first thing I did, of course, is share it on social media. And when I posted the story online about her coming back, people flooded the comments, not just to celebrate and say how awesome it was, but with a lot of questions that, quite frankly, shocked me. Things like, well, why didn't you track her? Why couldn't you track her down when she disappeared? Why didn't the microchip show you where she was? Why didn't someone who found her just call you? And it made me realize that most people have an incredible misunderstanding about how microchips work. Microchips don't track your pet. They are not GPS. They don't ping satellites or ping your phone, and they don't tell you where your pet is right now. They're kind of like an ID tag, but it's under the skin. So unlike an ID tag that you might have on your pet's collar that anybody that found your pet could theoretically call you and return your pet to you, it's like an ID tag under the skin. And it only speaks when somebody has the right kind of scanner to listen.

Amy Castro (04:15.000)
So let's talk about how microchips really work. First of all, your pet's microchip is a tiny, tiny device. It's about the size of a grain of rice. And it's usually injected under your pet's skin between the shoulder blades. Now, if your pet is older, sometimes the microchip will migrate, but for most pets, that's where you're going to find it. There's no battery, no signal, it just kind of sits there waiting until it's needed. When a vet or a rescue or a shelter scans your pet, the scanner will pop up with an ID number. So that's kind of the first bit of the process that people don't realize is that it doesn't transmit your information, it just pops up with a number. The person that's scanning will then call the microchip company that owns that chip because there's a number in the code that tells you what chip company owns that chip or you can look it up. So it could be HomeAgain. It could be 24 PetWatch. It could be our friends over at PetLink. And then that rescue, shelter, or vet can call the company, identify themselves as being a rescue, shelter, or vet, and get the registration information.

Amy Castro (05:21.062)
If your information has been registered with your pet's chip number, then the microchip company or the shelter will call you. If it's not, now you've hit a dead end. And somebody working in rescue and having volunteered at a shelter, I've hit a lot of dead ends. You get so excited as a helper when you scan that animal and a chip comes up, only to find out that the chip's not registered or that the registration information is out of date. So this is where a lot of people drop the ball, registering the chip. When you adopt from a rescue or a shelter, they're often going to say, hey, look, your pet's already chipped, and that's great if the registration is done. So remember, that information is entered by human beings. So make sure when you adopt a pet or get a pet from a shelter that they have done the registration process for you. If not, then they will provide you, or they should provide you, with information about how you can register that chip yourself. The other thing to keep in mind is even if they do it for you, don't trust it. Not that I'm saying that people do anything wrong, but all it takes is one typo in a 15-digit number or a wrong phone number or address, and you're never going to see your pet again.

Amy Castro (07:43.317)
Before you leave that shelter, ask that agency to scan that chip right in front of you so that you can confirm the number and write it down. If you haven't already done that, the next time you go to your vet, ask them to scan your pet and make sure you write that microchip number down and verify that the number matches what you were given when you adopted the pet. Then go online and check that the chip is properly registered under your name and phone number, and make sure it's not still under the rescue’s name. You’d be shocked how often that happens. And I don’t think that’s always a bad thing. At Starlight Outreach and Rescue, we register all microchips to us first, and then adopters can add their information too. That way, if the pet’s family can’t be reached, the call still comes to us. But the chip isn’t magic. You are, as the owner. You’ve got to make sure that you register the chip and that you keep your contact information up to date.

Amy Castro (10:03.327)
If you move or change numbers, make sure the first thing you do is update your chip information. There’s no fee to do that, and if you can, add a backup contact—preferably someone who won’t be moving anytime soon. Many people use a parent’s address or phone number. Stability is key. Think of the microchip as being locked up with your information inside. It works beautifully, but only if someone can find it and the information is current. I promised earlier that I would give you a link, and here it is: petmicrochiplookup.org. That site is run by the American Animal Hospital Association. It’s a lookup system. Type in your pet’s chip number, and the first thing it’ll tell you is what microchip company the chip is registered with. Now you might be wondering, “What is my pet’s microchip number?” Hopefully you got that when you adopted your pet, but if not, any vet or animal shelter can scan your pet and give it to you. Don’t wait until your next vet visit. Just drop in and ask. They won’t charge you, and it takes seconds.

Amy Castro (12:30.506)
Once you have the number, look it up on the site, find the company, and call them to confirm your registration information is up to date. If it’s not registered, you can register it right then. If you have problems, go back to the organization where you got your pet and ask for help. And no, just because someone finds your pet’s chip number doesn’t mean they can access your info. Only vets, shelters, or rescues can get that information. You can also tell the company not to release your contact info, and they’ll call or email you directly instead. Again, that only works if your information is accurate. So please, keep it current.

Amy Castro (14:51.514)
You’re probably wondering what happened with Pootie. She made it home, but she was emaciated and blind because she had cancer. We had to humanely euthanize her, which was heartbreaking, but at least she made it home and spent her last days safe and loved. She’s buried here at the rescue ranch where she started her life. That’s why I wanted to share her story with you—to inspire you to check your own pet’s microchip. Let’s do a quick five-minute microchip checkup.

1. Make sure your pet actually has a chip. Don’t assume.
2. Write down the chip number and keep it somewhere safe.
3. Visit petmicrochiplookup.org and make sure your information is correct and up to date.
   Those few minutes could mean the difference between a happy reunion and a lifetime of wondering what happened.

Amy Castro (16:57.287)
Despite how things ended with Pootie, that little chip—the one I hadn’t thought about in years—brought her home. If her number had been wrong, she’d still be out there. Microchips work, but only if we do the work behind them. Please help me spread the truth about microchips. Share this episode with other pet parents who still think they’re like a magical GPS that can teleport their pet back. And if you’ve had your own microchip reunion story, join us in The Pet Parent Hotline Insiders group on Facebook and share it. The more we tell these stories, the more pets will find their way home.

Thanks for listening to The Pet Parent Hotline. If you enjoyed the show, text a friend right now with a link and say, “You’ve got to hear this.” And remember, your pet’s best life starts with you living yours. Take good care of yourself and your pets this week.