Lost Pets

What is wrong with people?  There is a Facebook page called "Lost Pets of Omaha Area."  People who have lost or found pets post photos and contact information. The ONE CONSISTENT factor on all these posts: no collars and no tags. Sometimes the pets have collars and no tags. WTF?  Why have a collar and no tags? I said that out loud and hubby said, "So they have a place to attach the leash."

Here's my problem with this...it's irresponsible.  Dogs dig under fences, people accidentally leave the gate open, cats charge the door whenever you open it, cats go outside but don't stay in the yard and get lost. These are totally normal, common events that you can expect to have happen. Some pets break their leash to take off after a squirrel. Some dogs, like pugs, wiggle out of their collars or harnesses.  It happens - everywhere, every day. It is so common, that you should EXPECT it to happen at least once per pet. 

So, what's the best preventative medicine: collars, tags and microchips. Even if you are a scofflaw and don't have your pet licensed, at least get one of those tags at the pet store with your name and phone number on it. They are not expensive. Both PetsMart and PetCo have the machines to engrave the tags right there in the store. How can people not take this one simple precaution? 

To be fair, registering a microchip is actually a little pricey. I had cats for several years before I discovered that their microchips weren't registered with the Humane Society. I totally didn't hear, or didn't understand, the instructions when we adopted our cats.  But tags...tags are easy. With a microchip, you have to take the animal to a vet or the Humane Society to be scanned, and then call the company to find out the contact information. There is an annual fee. There is more than one company.  A tag is right there, right now. Call owner. Pet returned. Why, in a million years would you not have a collar/harness and tag on any pet that goes outdoors?

Excuse one: It bothers him/her.  It does at first.  Give them a week or two, and they'll get used to it.
Excuse two: They itch it constantly.  Some pets are allergic to nylon collars. Use leather or other material.
Excuse three: The license and ID tag jingle and drive me crazy. My Dad used to put a piece of duct tape on the backs of the tags so they wouldn't jingle. Nowadays, the tags from PetsMart came with a little piece of rubber tape to put on the tag for exactly that reason. Excellent. :-)
Excuse four: The collar smashes down his/her beautiful fur. You are whining. Get over it. Isn't it worth it to have your pet returned to you safely?
Excuse five: He/she wiggles out of their collar. I've tried several types. This is a legitimate problem. You will need to use a harness instead of a neck collar.
Excuse six: My dog pulls at the leash when I walk him and chokes himself, so I took it off. You will need to use a harness instead of a neck collar. And a few classes at doggy obedience school (also PetsMart and PetCo) will solve that problem. I read about how to train my dog to walk on a leash from a book. Only cost a couple of bucks. You just have to do it.
Excuse seven: I don't allow my cat out of the house. Yeah, mine either - intentionally. But damn if she didn't charge the door every time I opened it. I don't believe for a second that I would have been able to catch her if she didn't want me to. Indoor cats know nothing of cars or navigating their way in the big, scary world. When they get lost, then hungry, they will go to the first door or people they find to get fed. "No tags? No microchip? Mine now." Or worse, they get abused by people who don't like cats, or attacked by dogs or other animals.

The first cat we ever owned, Princess, was listed as a "stray" at the Humane Society.  Stray, my ass.  She was somebody's spoiled house cat that got out and got lost. The third day we had her, we found out how she got out. She pushed on screens until she found a loose one. Hubby saw her do it. All the window screens were reinforced the next day.

Our boy kitty, Felix, wants nothing whatsoever to do with the outdoors. But when we moved to a new town, he got a collar and tags. My girl kitty, Mittens, greets people at the door, and tries to get out. She's had a collar from the start. They are both micro-chipped and registered at two places. I am in no condition to be trying to chase and capture a cat. They have each gotten out into the hallway of the apartment. Scared the hell out of me. Fortunately, they were able to be herded back to the apartment. I would be beside myself with grief if one of my babies got outside and got away.

My husband has a coworker whose little dog slipped her leash and got lost. She had tags and a chip. She was returned to her family by that evening. Why can't everyone else see that?