Computer in your cat

Politicians like to toss around the idea of having microchips implanted in human beings so that each of us carries around identification (and other sensitive information) on a tiny chip under our skins. It’s already being done to lots of pets, both by vets and animal shelters.

There is a charge, of course, but the injection of the microchip is almost painless, and there are no side effects (so far). The hope is that if your pet becomes lost and gets picked up by an animal shelter, the shelter can digitally “scan” the cat to retrieve your contact information.

The problem with both microchip implants and tattooing is, of course, that both are practically invisible to most observers. Your best bet for your pet, particularly one who spends a lot of time outdoors, is to have her fitted with a microchip and make her wear a collar and ID tag.