Microchips Vs Nose Print

[Tagrendy]

Hi, recently in the country ( Armenia ) the government announced it prepares a plan to have all adopted / owned cats to get microchipped, they also intend to do the same with stray cats ( after neutering them I guess ). The reason given was that it would allow to punish people who leave their pets when they are done with them. Now I hate those people as much as anyone, but tbh I am a bit worried about microchipping my cat, and wondering if there aren't any safer options for identifying cats. I discovered about "nose prints" - that they are as unique as human fingerprints. They would also be better because many pet owners have rescued more than 5 cats, some have 9-10 - they can't afford microchipping, and I assume after this law passes there will be less people housing multiple cats.

I wanted to ask if I'm missing something - is nose print not good enough for identifying cats? Why would the government not use that option to begin with? Maybe the nose can get damaged some way when cats fight? But then again the chip can get damaged too in a fight no?

I am just confused and hoping to get some insight before participating in a campaign against it.

 

[EmersonandEvie]

Microchipping is the same process as getting a vaccine. The chip is inserted on the back of the neck and under the skin. The cat cannot pick at it that way and it is easily able to be scanned if the cat is brought in.

I would imagine that they microchip instead of nose prints because it is much easier to hover a scanner over a cat's neck rather than try and hold it still enough to get an accurate nose print. Especially if you were dealing with feral cats! They can be scanned while in a cage.
The nose could also be damaged. The chip is far enough under the skin and small enough that that would have to be a very precise bite/claw from another cat to dislodge it or rip it out. It would be very unlikely to happen.

In the US, microchipping can be done very cheaply. We regularly have clinics that advertise for chipping at $10 per cat. I'm not sure how it would be in Armenia and how the government would force everyone to get their cats chipped.

 

[ArchyCat]

And once you take the nose pr int, how are you going to match it the ones open file? That would be like finger prints. Some one has to match the print with those on file. Could require a lot of labour. The microchips can be read in a second or two.

 

[jcat]

There's no system for storing and matching nose prints, quite apart from the difficulties of even taking one, as mentioned above.

Microchips are implanted in seconds, and most animals barely show a reaction. Scanning them is also quick and requires no skin contact.

There are campaigns here in Germany to make chipping mandatory in order to deter people from dumping their pets and to make it easier to reunite strays with their owners. As somebody who works at an animal shelter, I'm very much in favor of it.

 

[furmonster mom]

I agree that microchip is more pragmatic than nose printing.

I can't even imagine the database that would have to be created for nose printing all the cats out there... then there is the updating and maintenance of the information... ugh. And what about prints that are so similar? Mis-identity could land someone in hot water unnecessarily.

With a microchip the information is literally attached to the cat.

Now, there are still some other problems to my mind. Who is going to "enforce" this microchip law? And what will happen to the strays that are not chipped? Is this just another way to get extra money out of pet owners? or is it another way to get rid of strays?

 

[Tagrendy]

Thank you all for your insights. I didn't know nose prints are hassle to do. I guess the only downfall is the price then. It costs about $30-$40 when average salary for most people is $200. Will see if we can demand some options for people who have multiple cats.

 

[di and bob]

Yes, i would petition a discount for multiple cats. If they demand it to be done, there should be a cheaper way to do it. Chips are inserted under the skin and the best way to track cat's owners in my opinion. if you can't afford to microchip, even at 30.00 dollars, how on earth would you provide everyday care and emergency care? I think it would discourage people from owning too many cats and letting them have litter after litter, a good thing! My town tried to get a 50.00 a year license fee on cats, it failed thank goodness, but they did pass a law prohibiting the feeding of feral animals. I guess I 'own' a LOT of ferals! I pay about 160.00 dollars for spaying,neutering and shots, and most of them I have done are not even 'owned' by me, but ferals and strays. It is well worth it in the long run to save one cat from starvation because there are too many, and a life of misery. I try not to keep track of all the money I have spent, I am not rich by any means, I just pray it helps my 'karma'!