Microchips for dogs and cats: what they are, how they are fitted, and why registration matters

A microchip is the simplest permanent way to prove your pet's identity and get it back if it's lost. A collar can fall off and a photo can look like another animal, but a microchip number stays with your pet for life. The chip alone isn't enough, though — its real value comes from linking the number to your details in a trusted registry.

What is a microchip?

• A very small chip, about the size of a grain of rice, sealed in a safe, body-compatible material.
• It has no battery and only works when a scanner is passed over it.
• It carries a unique number; under the common international standard the number has 15 digits.

How is it fitted?

A vet implants it with a needle under the skin, usually between the shoulder blades. It is quick, similar to a normal vaccination, and usually needs no anaesthetic; your pet may feel a brief pinch. It can be fitted to puppies and kittens at early visits, or along with another procedure such as neutering.

After fitting, the vet scans it to check the number reads correctly and gives you the number to register.

Why registration matters more than the chip

If someone finds your pet and reads the chip, they need somewhere to find out who the number belongs to. So:

• register the chip number in your name in a trusted registry;
• update your phone number and address whenever they change;
• when you sell or give away the pet, transfer the registration to the new owner.

Microchips on Pets4Pals

Pets4Pals is a pet registry in Egypt that links each pet to one record by its microchip number:

• One medical file: member clinics record visits, vaccines and treatments, and a vet opens it with your permission using a one-time code you give them with the chip number.
• Lost pets: if someone finds your pet, they can enter the chip number on the "Found a pet?" page and you are notified, without your phone number or address being shown to them.
• If your pet goes missing: report it lost in the app; every member clinic can then see that it is lost, and a free lost-pet ad goes up in the market.
• Before the chip is fitted: you can register your pet first; it is linked for the time being to your verified national ID, and you add the chip number within 30 days. Any member clinic can fit one.
• Ownership transfer: when you sell or rehome a pet, the current owner transfers it to the new owner's account, and its file and history move with it. The chip number isn't shown in market listings; the buyer sees it only after ownership is transferred to them.

Microchips and travel

Many countries require a chip that meets the international standard before a pet can enter, and some require it to be fitted before, or on the same day as, the rabies vaccine, followed in some cases by an antibody blood test. Rules differ between countries and change over time, so check the requirements of the country you're travelling to with your vet well in advance — some steps take months.

Useful tips

• Ask your vet to scan the chip at the yearly check-up to make sure it still works.
• Keep the number somewhere safe, with a recent photo of your pet.
• Use a collar tag with your phone number too — it's the fastest way for someone without a scanner to reach you.
• When you adopt a pet, ask a vet to scan it; it may already have a registered chip.

See also before adopting or buying and the vaccination schedule.

Frequently asked questions