To Microchip or not? Monthly Heartworm/Flea Preventative?

lillypie

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Feb 20, 2016
Messages
151
Purraise
11
Location
Indiana
Hello! I recently added a 13 week old kitten to the family, all of our prior cats have already been microchipped by the rescues we got them from. This time however Lilly was 6 weeks old when we got her and had absolutely nothing done to her prior to us getting her. My question is are there any risks to getting your pet microchipped? She is going to be a fully INSIDE only cat but I do realize there is still always a chance for her to escape. My other question is about whether or not to have Lilly on monthly preventative flea and heart worm medication. Obviously the vet recommends it, but Im wondering if again it is necessary for an indoor cat? Also I am wondering if there are any risks involved that might outweighs the obvious pros. Lilly has already seen our vet once and got her testing done, as well as a dose of dewormer along with her first dose of Revolution. I just want to make sure Im doing the best I can for my Lilly, with all the other cats most decisions were already made for me! Thank you for all of your input!
 

crazy4strays

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
May 4, 2015
Messages
1,468
Purraise
306
Location
East Tennesee
Definitely yes on the microchipping, IMO. It can make the difference between being put to sleep and being sent back home to you, if the cat is found and brought to a shelter. Plus, you will know that you've prevented your cat from ever adding to a shelter or rescue's workload, because instead of spending valuable time and money vetting them and adopting them out to another home, they can send them directly home to you and use their resources on truly homeless cats. 

If money is an issue, look for a low cost vet clinic. I live in southern Michigan and got both of my cats microchipped for $15 each at our local Tractor Supply vet clinic. It was a quick and simple injection and my cats tolerated it well. It has free lifetime registration and I update mine online.

In my area, Family Farm & Home and Petco also offer $15 microchipping.
 

DreamerRose

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 11, 2015
Messages
8,744
Purraise
11,085
Location
Naperville, IL
Yes to both questions. My vet recommended Paradyne, a topical anti-flea oil. It also protects against ear mites, ticks, and I don't know what else. Mingo is also an indoor cat, but there were posters at the vet's with some scary statistics on how many indoor cats (like 40%) get heartworms. Paradyne is horribly expensive, but surely there must be something else similar.
 

molly92

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jan 8, 2016
Messages
1,689
Purraise
1,565
Location
Michigan
I agree microchipping is important. I think there is a very slight risk of cat reacting badly to the chip, but that very small risk far outweighs the benefits in my opinion. All it takes is a cat being spooked while a door is open or a maintenance worker leave the door ajar and a cat who hasn't been outside is going to get lost quickly. Microchipping is becoming very popular so often the first thing people do when they find a lost animal is take it to a vet to check for a chip.

For flea and tick medication, I think having it is better than not. I'm not sure what winters in Indiana are like, but if they're cold enough you can probably get by without it in the winter months. During the summer I'd be more wary, and if you lived somewhere warmer I'd definitely do it year round. You can very easily bring something in on your clothing or shoes, and it just takes one flea to lay eggs before you've got an infestation. I like Revolution the best (or any medicine with the same active ingredient; I think Paradyne is the same) for its all-round protection from fleas, ticks, and heartworm, and it's also one of the safest products out there. Unfortunately, the safer the medication is, the more expensive it is. You should ALWAYS get the brand of flea and tick medicine that is available from the vet's office, because anything that's sold over the counter in pet stores is going to be more dangerous and less effective.

This article is from a gardening blog, but it explains very well which chemicals are safe and effective and which are hazardous. If you scroll to the bottom there's a really good chart that I wish was formatted correctly, but you can tell the first line of a series is the chemical name, the second some common names, the third the class of toxin or general category, etc.:

http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/3131

Some cats do have reactions to ingredients in Revolution or other flea/tick medications, like a rash or hair loss, in which case you wouldn't want to continue using that medication for that cat, but the risk is the same whenever giving medication, to people or cats, there's a chance you will be allergic to it.
 
Last edited:

LTS3

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Aug 29, 2014
Messages
19,209
Purraise
19,695
Location
USA
No risk to get a cat microchipped
It's safe to microchip a cat. Whichever company you decide to get the microchip from (there are different ones), be sure to register the microchip with all of your contact information right away and remember to update the information if you move, change phone numbers, vets, etc. Many people don't bother to register a microchip because they think that all of their contact info is somehow automatically associated with the microchip at the time the microchip is inserted into the cat. An unreigstered microchip is useless to help a lost pet find its way home.

Some microchip companies offer annual paid memberships for extra services. If you don't want the extra services, you do not need the membership. The basic service is free. Be sure to read the FAQs and fine print as each mcirochip company is different. I use Home Again. I posted info about the free basic service here: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/313078/cheaper-chippers

Sometimes stores like Petco and Petsmart have low cost microchip days. You can check with your local store's web site for upcoming events.

My cats are indoor only and are on monthly parasite prevenative. One is on Revolution and the other is on Heartgard. They're on different ones becuse one is allergic to Revolution.
 
Last edited:

kittens mom

Kittens life was lost to a negligent veterinarian.
Top Cat
Joined
Aug 27, 2015
Messages
6,198
Purraise
3,964
Location
Moriarty, New Mexico
 
Hello! I recently added a 13 week old kitten to the family, all of our prior cats have already been microchipped by the rescues we got them from. This time however Lilly was 6 weeks old when we got her and had absolutely nothing done to her prior to us getting her. My question is are there any risks to getting your pet microchipped? She is going to be a fully INSIDE only cat but I do realize there is still always a chance for her to escape. My other question is about whether or not to have Lilly on monthly preventative flea and heart worm medication. Obviously the vet recommends it, but Im wondering if again it is necessary for an indoor cat? Also I am wondering if there are any risks involved that might outweighs the obvious pros. Lilly has already seen our vet once and got her testing done, as well as a dose of dewormer along with her first dose of Revolution. I just want to make sure Im doing the best I can for my Lilly, with all the other cats most decisions were already made for me! Thank you for all of your input!
We live in a drought area. The threat of fire can be a reality. A pet that is micro chipped can always be identified if the information is kept current. You say you would never leave your cat at an emergency shelter. Never say never. the very minuscule risk of a chip far outweighs separation from a natural disaster or escape. It can be the difference between being reunited and your pet languishing in a shelter or worse.

Heartworm was never a concern here. We never had a mosquito. We did last year. Extra monsoon brought the first ever infestation here. There is no treatment for a cat with heartworm. My cats were tested and put on a medication.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #7

lillypie

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Feb 20, 2016
Messages
151
Purraise
11
Location
Indiana
Looks like we will be getting Lilly chipped then! Thank you for all of the input on that front. I wasn't so much concerned about the price, just any possible adverse reactions to the chip itself or the site of implantation she could have, but it definitely looks like there is no problem there! We will be seeing her vet soon for that. As far as the Revolution goes we will continue to keep her on that as well, my question is however how often do you guys dose your kitties? I know the vet recommends every 30 days but do you all find that necessary for an indoor cat who has never had fleas, or would it be okay to spread her doses out a bit more? Thanks!! 
 

kittens mom

Kittens life was lost to a negligent veterinarian.
Top Cat
Joined
Aug 27, 2015
Messages
6,198
Purraise
3,964
Location
Moriarty, New Mexico
 
Looks like we will be getting Lilly chipped then! Thank you for all of the input on that front. I wasn't so much concerned about the price, just any possible adverse reactions to the chip itself or the site of implantation she could have, but it definitely looks like there is no problem there! We will be seeing her vet soon for that. As far as the Revolution goes we will continue to keep her on that as well, my question is however how often do you guys dose your kitties? I know the vet recommends every 30 days but do you all find that necessary for an indoor cat who has never had fleas, or would it be okay to spread her doses out a bit more? Thanks!! 
For it to be effective against heartworm you would likely have to use every 30 days. That's something to question the vet about.
 

LTS3

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Aug 29, 2014
Messages
19,209
Purraise
19,695
Location
USA
I give the monthly parastie preventative roughly every 30 days. A day or two off doesn't make a difference, IMO. You can't spread the doses out more than that, though, because the effect of the Revolution won't last that long.
 
Top