# Chip a stray?



## lyle (Oct 28, 2010)

Pros, cons?

I have a stray that lives in the garage, but still travels around the neighborhood. I am thinking about getting him "chipped".


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## Vivid Dawn (May 31, 2010)

When you get a chip, you have to register an address and phone number... you would basically be saying the cat belongs to you. If you're already at your city's limits for pets, you might want to be careful about getting "caught" and cited for too many animals at the residence.

This is why I haven't chipped the ferals I'm taking care of... I would then have 6 - which is 4 more than I'm allowed!
I am thinking about putting collars on them though, because it's legal to shoot ferals, and I don't want anybody shooting "my" cats!


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## lyle (Oct 28, 2010)

*Rules is Rules*

And as a "true American" I'll obey the ones I like and to **** with the rest.

It is possible locally to chip without getting a city license.

The tentative plan is to chip one cat, maybe two, without licensing them.

I would deal with any legal "fallout" as it came.

My main concern is to establish that I am the cats "caregiver" in the event that it was picked up.


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## lyle (Oct 28, 2010)

*Clarification (don't know how to edit)*

Sorry about that. What I meant to say is that I reserve the right of civil disobedience regarding rules and laws I feel are unjust. I'm really not a nut case advocating anarchy. 

One of the local ordinances regarding ferals/strays states that one is obligated to turn any feral/stray into the local "pound" which is definitely not a no-kill. TNR is illegal locally. They'll get no obedience from me.


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## Vivid Dawn (May 31, 2010)

Yup, same here. My area doesn't care about ferals at all. Regular people can shoot them (or any other method of "humanely" killing them), the pound automatically kills them if they get turned in.

One neighbor doesn't mind the cats, just doesn't want more kittens in the wood pile. The other neighbor actually feeds them table scraps ever so often. My dad (and the land owner of where the colony lives) is about the only one who doesn't like "all those d*m cats running around", BUT he's tolerant in the fact he lets me feed them and doesn't actively try to get rid of them. 
So I'm pretty much safe as for the immediate area of their territory.


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## Mitts & Tess (Sep 4, 2004)

Im shocked that that kind of legislation is legal in your states. I hope someone who is savy politically can push to get that changed. I know a lot of people dont like the USHSA but in Arizona they have been very present on all legislation pending that would not be in the best interest of domestic and wild animals. Theyve arranged meetings with our state reps and have been very available to the animal advocated in this state. Weven gotten some laws defeated that would of been detromental to animals. We still have a ways to go. But there is no limit or laws that say you cant have a certain number of pets and no legislation about ferals and supporting feral colonies with make our TNR mission easier. 

I beleive in civil disobedience when a law harms an animal. It sickens me to hear its legal to shoot a feral cat or not be able to support a feral colony of cats. Wisconsin tried to get the law passed to shoot ferals and I think there was such an uproar it was defeated???? It boggle my mind that there are people are so barbaric in this day and age.


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## lyle (Oct 28, 2010)

I think that it's kind of an urban thing. There are no end of people in urban areas who object to one thing or another 'till there is someone objecting to anything. Cats, dogs, rabbits, birds, various and sundry critters. Someone hates each one. And the politicos seem to feel obligated to try and please each one.

In truth the burb that I live in has no intention of spending the time and money to actually go out and catch cats, especially in these economic times, but the law is on the books so they can say that they're doing something about all the cats.

Chipping my cat (Squiggy) is more of a precaution, a just-in-case thing. He's a half-wild, ex-stray who has been TNRd and lives in the garage. He also has FeL so I can't bring him into the house with the two other cats. He seems contented and comes and goes as he pleases. He's lived in the neighborhood for several years and everyone is used to him, but......

When he's gone for more than several days I worry. The phone call to the local "Pound" went something like this:

"Have you picked up my cat?" "No, when did he get out?" "He didn't get out, he's a stray that I TNRd and he runs around the neighborhood." "Trapping and releasing cats is illegal in .....". "Oh, did you think that I said I was trapping cats? You must have misunderstood me."

I lied through my teeth and was quite proud of myself. Squiggy came back some time later, quite unconcerned that he had turned me into a criminal, a "scoff-law".


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