[TinyRedLeaf]

Cat's Colorado-to-New York saga piques interest in microchip

New York (Sept 16, Fri): The story of a Colorado cat that was missing for five years before being found in New York City has raised interest in the tiny embedded microchip that made a reunion with its owners possible.

The owners of Willow the calico had arranged to have the chip — about the size of a grain of rice — implanted in her when she was a kitten in Broomfield, Colorado, years ago. When Willow was taken to a Manhattan animal shelter on Wednesday, a routine scan found the chip. The chip led to a registry, which led to the Squires family, now of Boulder.

Ms Julie Bank, executive director of New York's Animal Care and Control, which found Willow's chip, said having the chip was crucial. "Without having that microchip and the microchip record being current, Willow would not be reuniting with that Colorado family because we wouldn't know about the Colorado family," she said.

Vets have been recommending the chips for years as an aid in finding lost pets. Some said that interest has been sparked recently by Willow's story and by natural disasters such as Hurricane Irene, which forced the separations of many pets and their owners.

AP