I've been quite busy with missing cats locally. 3 have been found safe and well, the 4th was sadly an RTA and I'm looking for a 5th.
Anyway, something came to my attention from 2 owners which shows a great misunderstanding. When asked if they had contacted local vets both said no as the cat was chipped and the vet would automatically scan. Neither had ID collars.
There are 2 points that need emphasising:
1. Whilst all vets should scan for chips there are some who don't so this automatically so it is not fail safe. Some vets will record chip numbers on annual booster cards and check each year for a signal but this is rare in my experience locally.
2. Often found cats remain with the finder and do not visit the vet. They are simply recorded as found and the veterinary staff are asked to link this with any reports of missing cats. Some people do this as they will provide food and shelter, some may hope to give the cat a home. The point is that the cat does not visit the surgery and veterinary staff often forget to say bring the cat in for scanning.
My appeal to anyone who has lost a cat is not to ignore reporting losses to vets for these reasons.