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To scan or not to scan, a moral dilemma?

Gadzukz

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Since Freya has become more affectionate, I am discovering more about her every day. She has this soft fuzz patch between her shoulder blades and it's so soft, I love rubbing it. last night I was rolling the skin there between my thumb and forefinger playing with her fuzz and felt what may be a microchip:Surprise: Or could just be a muscle:Dizzy:.

Not knowing her past, I am terrified to have it scanned. She supposedly came from a shelter, most shelters chip upon adoption don't they? Would the shelter require she be brought back to them as I was not her adopter? Do breeders chip also? hat if she was someone's pet and got lost. I would feel terrible! Would I have to return her? I don't know if I could do that. Should I just shut up and pretend I never felt it? (little late for that I guess, lol) Of course there is the chance it's not a chip at all. If my vet or shelter scan her for me, are they obligated to report what they find?AAAAAAAAAAA... Turmoil.

What do you guys think? What would you do?
 

EmbraceMonChat

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Plausible denyability...Chip? What chip?

I dunno...lots of variables and what ifs. What sort of vibe does your vet give off? Happy she has a good home or legal eagle compelled to investigate. My feeling is most vets are happy their client provides care and their patient is fat and happy!

There are a couple different types of chips operating on different frequencies. So, not every scanner will detect every chip unless you have a universal scanner and a lot of places don't. There's no guarantee it will even scan, if it's even there! My dogs are chipped and I can't feel a darn thing. If you xray though, it will show up on rads. That's one way of finding out if there IS a chip without actually scanning for it. Plausible denyability..."we never scanned a chip". ;)

Just wanted to add that I'd probably ask my vet to scan before I asked a shelter. Shelters conduct legal adoptions and I suspect that they'd feel more compelled to check their own data base and if the chip goes to one of their cases...then you've opend up a whole new can of catnip.
 

Gadzukz

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. Plausible denyability..."we never scanned a chip". ;)

.

Lol, I like the way you think. When a shelter adopts out, do they register the chip to the new owner? I know the names of the couple I got her from. Then I would feel okay. What worries me is what if she didn't come from a shelter. As you said, a lot of what ifs, and do I want to open the can? Not really. But I must admit to undying curiousity!

Oh and the shelter she was supposed to come from was in Fl, we are in SC, wonder if that makes a difference?
 
J

Jinxlover

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I would not do it at the shelter.. I agree with EmbraceMonChat. My vet would do it with no issues. I would have to know..What if she gets out and someone else picks her up takes her for scanning (trying to find her owner) and she was chipped to someone thats not YOU!!! You would never get her back.. If she has a chip you can change the info to yourself. Most shelters do chip when they send pets to there new homes and if she happy with you I dont think they would try to take her.
 

EmbraceMonChat

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I wasn't clear...

I'd scan for a chip with my vet but wouldn't necessarily call it in to retrieve the information.

If you call it in, doesn't the chip service automatically CALL the registered owner? I believe they do! That is where the can comes in.

I don't know what the process is for changing info...if they'd expect you to know the original info...or still have to confirm with the original owner of record...no clue.

First see if there is a chip there. Then think about what to do...ie extract the old chip? Could that be done? I dunno. My first idea is not to lose her! LOL
 

Inferno12

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I would have her scanned by your vet. I am assuming that your vet knows what you went through to get her to the point that you are at now so I am thinking that they should be ok with it. That way you can change the chip information to you just in case she gets out. My shelter here does not chip but they do scan. Maybe the breeder got her chipped but no one ever registered the chip?? :Question: I know people who have gone through the process of chipping their animals but have never taken the next step to register the chip.

Good luck and congratulations on your new love bug! :Smile::Smile:
 

Gadzukz

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Ok, I called my vet, he will be glad to scan her at no charge, and he does know what we have been through with her, he said he will not report a thing. I wont have a chance to take her till next week though.
So does all the info just pop up? or do you have to call the company? I would not want to do that.
 

klreese

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yikes :( that is a tough choice.
i agree, have it scanned by the vet. and i'm assuming from reading the replies by people who've been around longer then I, that you and naked-baby have been through a history together. Let along, considering how many owners the baby may have went through to get to your love.
I hope it all works out in your favor!
 

Gadzukz

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Doing a little google research it seems that the chip number will display when scanned, then I can enter it in the online database to find her info. I don't know if that would set off alarms or not though. I know the name of the couple I bought her from. They never said anything about a chip!
 

Mews2much

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I would not scan her at the pound.
Also not all vets and pounds use the same chips and there have been times cats were scanned and it showed nothing because the chip was from another place.
I tried to look up Polar Bares info and it must be in the breeders name because they said they can not tell me anything.
I assume it is suppose to stay in his name.
I have the tag and scan number though.

 

Inferno12

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I would not scan her at the pound.
Also not all vets and pounds use the same chips and there have been times cats were scanned and it showed nothing because the chip was from another place.
I tried to look up Polar Bares info and it must be in the breeders name because they said they can not tell me anything.
I assume it is suppose to stay in his name.
I have the tag and scan number though.


I think you should be able to change the owner info on that chip. There is a fee to change it but they are designed to have one number and the owners information can be changed. I would look into it but if you don't change it then make sure your breeder has your current information! Just my two cents :Laugh:
 

EmbraceMonChat

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I like your vet! :)

I would think you could use a data base without setting off any alarms. Think of all the incorrectly entered numbers from human typing errors. I'd hate to think if I transposed #'s, they'd call the owner of the animal I just accidentally looked up! So, I would think it requires some sort of further action for them to be notified.
 

Gadzukz

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I also emailed the people that I got her from asking about a chip, but ...surprise, no answer yet.
 

Marnasobsession

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I would not scan her at the pound.
Also not all vets and pounds use the same chips and there have been times cats were scanned and it showed nothing because the chip was from another place.
I tried to look up Polar Bares info and it must be in the breeders name because they said they can not tell me anything.
I assume it is suppose to stay in his name.
I have the tag and scan number though.


Jacky..the breeder should of given you the paperwork for the chip. It should be transferred to you.
 

Nofuratu

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This may not be a popular answer, but I would look into it. I think you should be able to put the info in the web site without setting off alarm bells.

I think of it this way........if she had a previous owner that thinks she is missing or dead or worse.....I would hate to not know what happened to my cat!

I think most people would not want the cat back if it was in a loving home, but would just want to know their pet is ok...especially if a lot of time has passed. It would be stressful for the pet to have to switch homes.....

I totally see where you are coming from, but Im sure you are protected in some way because you purchased her, and some time has passed.......I would feel bad that a previous owner was worrying.
 

Mug-ys mumma

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Before we got Mug-Y we had a stray DSH tabby who decided to live with us. He was living on scraps from bins and was very skinny when we took him in with fleas, worms and ear mites. We called him Stanislav...

I fed him up and treated him for all his problems but after 4 weeks decided I needed to see if he was chipped, i would be upset if he was someones missing pet etc etc.

I took him to a local vet where they found he had a chip. They found that he was registered to the local cat rescue. It turns out he was given up and put in the rescue, rehomed and then they kicked him out. I cannot understand why, he was such a loving, cuddly boy, toilet trained and no issue whatsoever.

Anyway the cat rescue said i couldn't keep him and i couldn't even foster him, they wouldn't give me a straight answer why except something about living to close to the people who kicked him out so they took him away. My mum went to see if she could adopt him, so at least I would know he was in a good home as i was heartbroken to lose him and they told her a complete pack of lies including that his owners had given him up to them due to medical costs (?) they told a friend of mine that he was not fit to be rehomed and all sorts of rubbish, two weeks later my mum went back and he was gone....I was completely devistated.

I did all the right things and just wanted him to have a good home, now I don't know what happened to him. I understand the checking the chip for piece of mind but personally I would be loathe to do it after suffering such a bad experience.

X
X
 

nativekiwi

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In Nz it costs a small fee to transfer info on a chip. There is a chance it could end up with you losing your cat but I really doubt it. prac all Sphynx are chipped by breeders which means if this cat was ever in a shelter they would have tried to track the owners then. Sphynx don't often end up in shelters if its anything like nz. you will most likely get the breeders name for interest and your vet will be able to transfer it for you. I did with my Sphynx despite being about her third owner since her breeder decided not to breed her anymore. I was terrified she would wander or get stolen and I would lose her completely as no one would get hold of me and she would prob get returned to a surprised breeder and rehomed. So my vote is do it. You will feel much happier knowing she is legally yours and identifiable. The gain offsets the small risk.
 

Gadzukz

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I think of it this way........if she had a previous owner that thinks she is missing or dead or worse.....I would hate to not know what happened to my cat!
This is what bothers me most.

Mug-y's mom~ Your story is what terrifies me most. IF the chip is from a shelter, I feel like they would take her. (They did it to Ellen!)

As Kiwi said though, you hardly see sphynx in shelters.

For the breeders here~ Do most of you chip your cats before they leave?

She is gonna be scanned next week, and if I get a number then I will decide where to go from there. I can't stand the thought of losing her.
 

Mug-ys mumma

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Mug-y's mom~ Your story is what terrifies me most. IF the chip is from a shelter, I feel like they would take her. (They did it to Ellen!)



I really don't want to scare you, I'm sure mine was just a really bad experience, like you I just wanted peace of mind, unfortunately it ended badly for me and I hope and pray it doesn't end that way for you. If there is a way for you to check the chip without it being registered in any way I would certainly go for it too...

Best of luck! X
 

Gadzukz

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I got an email back from the people who sold me Freya. I had also listed for them the health issues she had. They have 7 other sphynx. This is the very confusing answer:

I dont know why she would have had roundworms. I worm all of them once a month the only thing I can think of is the worm meds I got from my vet is not doing what it should. I will have to load up a couple of my guys and take them to our new vet in town and have them checked. The mouth infection and ulcers are common in sphynx. They have alot of the same health problems as the chinese creasted have. I have one of my special needs girls on meds now for mouth ulcers. She needs her teeth cleaned and we are going to try and get it done but due to her special needs are waiting as long as possible to have it done as we dont know if she will be able to handel being put under to have it done. As for the microchip. she probley does have one as she came from the shelter in FL but I did not have it put in her and was not told she had one but I also thought I felt one in her also but there would be no way to change the info with not knowing who put it in. It was either her origanal breeder or the shelter in FL that done it. And I have never had infomation on either one of them. I figured it was there in case she ended up in a shelter again that who ever she is registered to through the chip would know about it. My special needs boy has a microchip in him and he is registerd to his breeder It may have also been his breeder that put it in her as she is the one that pulled her from the shelter in FL. And then she came to me. So she may have had it done so if she would end up in a shelter they would contact her. When I got Rocky from her she said she would not change the information on his chip because she wanted to know where he was if he got lost or stolen or ended up in the shelter but that if I wanted I could have another one put in him with my information on it but I never had that done because I know hes not going anywhere and you can even leave my door open and he wont go outside. Again thanks for the pictures of her and please keep me updated.

This is the first I heard of Freya coming from a breeder?!?!?!
 
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