Willow's Adventure - One Cat's Journey from Colorado to New York and Back Proves the Value of Microchipping
By RooneyA
-
Willow Is Microchipped
The Squires family of Boulder, CO adopts Willow, a calico kitten, from a neighbor. As a safety precaution, they take her to a local veterinarian to receive a microchip, a small implant containing identifying information that is retrievable at shelters and vet clinics. "It's about the size of a grain of rice and sits right under the skin between the shoulder blades," explains Fort Collins veterinarian M.C Seward. "It's very simple to implant and provides permant identification for your pet." -
Willow Mysteriously Disappears
Although outdoor cats are accustomed to wandering their neighborhoods, indoor cats who escape can get lost very easily. "They have flexible spines and floating collar bones, so they can squeeze through any hole the size of their head," says Seward. "Even a cracked window provides enough space for a kitten to slip out." -
Willow, renamed "Molly", is picked up by a visiting New Yorker
A Brooklyn native on a ski trip to Colorado finds Willow wandering in Boulder and takes her to a veterinarian to assess whether she is a stray. Scanning her with a microchip scaner that only picks up frequencies specfic to certain brands, the vet declares that she has no records.* The skier takes her home to Brooklyn where she lives for three years. -
Universal microchip scanners become widely used and available.
Willow was first scanned in 2006 by a scanner that only searched for frequencies given off by specific microchip brands. By the time Willow was re-scanned in 2011, a universal microchip scanner was able to read her information. Pets microchipped before 2008 do not need to get re-tagged as most scanners used today will read all types of chips. -
Willow Escapes - Again
Willow disappears from the Brooklyn apartment where she has lived for three years. She presumably escaped through a window or open door (again). -
Who Knows?
There is no information available on Willow's whereabouts during this time period. She may have been taken in by another family or wandered as a stray. "Cats are extremely resourceful," says Seward, "they can find food, water, and shelter pretty easily." Perhaps she partied in Manhattan and lived on the wild side for a few years. -
Willow turns up at an animal shelter.
A man brings Willow to Animal Care & Control of New York City, saying he found her on East 20th street. -
Willow is Identified
By scanning her microchip, vet technicians at the shelter were able to access the Squires' contact information, and were shocked to discover her owners' address listed in Colorado, nearly 1,800 miles away. The Squires were contacted via telephpone. "The kids can't wait to see her," James Squires told the Associated Press."We still have her little Christmas stocking". -
Willow Goes Home
The Squires family flies to New York to reunite with Willow, hold a press conference, and bring her back to Colorado. The importance of tagged collars, careful monitoring, and microchipping pets is brought to life by this powerful story.
