microchipping ??

[Loopyhw1]

as I was petting the baby kitten and checking her lump on her belly, I noticed a hard line on her back (slightly to left of her backbone) it almost felt like a vein on the back of your hand feels....
anyhow I asked my boyfriend if this could be her microchip as the shelter gave us two packages with yellow plastic discs and id numbers... he said no way because we didn't get them chipped yet....
my question (which I will pose to the shelter tomorrow when they are open (and the to the vet when we go back to have the lump monitored tomorrow evening)) is... could the shelter have already microchipped the cats (and what I'm feeling is INDEED the chip?) and that the package is the number for us to regester the chip...?

or is this something else I shoud worry about being something not right with the kitten.. Sorry I'm just a worry wart....



also... the boyfriend called me at work today frantic because the kitten was in the other room crying for him and he was calling to her but she kept crying.... then when he stamped the floor, she came running... he's worried she can't hear... is this a rational fear? or is it something pretty far out there?
(again something I will talk to the vet about tomorrow... and not something we would have thought to ask when we took her so worried about the belly)
after all she is 10 weeks and only 2.25 lbs....

we don't know what to expect with kittens as we've only ever adopted adult cats


any insight would be GREATLY appreciated!

[mamabear]

Oh you two remind me of new parents and it is just so cute.! Ok as for the chipping yes it is possible that they did it and you have to register her. BUT you need to make sure so ask them. Write a list and put this on it. Even if there are only two questions just keep it with you so you dont forget.

As for the deafness there is always a possiblity BUT the kitty might not have come to him because she was meowing to show him something. now I know it sounds odd but cats do do this and well she might have been. Although this is another thing to write down and ask the vet.

Also does she hear the can opener?
Does she hear when you call her with the sppp sppp sppp noice we call our kitties to?
Note those things before talking to vet and then bring this to his attention.

You are both doing a great job, keep up the good work. Kitty is in good hands. Well they both are.

[kehorner]

It sounds like they already chipped the kittens, if they gave you the accompanying paperwork and tags. Otherwise, they wouldn't want to give you those tags (with the specific number matched up to specific chips) and be holding the chips somewhere that they could potentially get lost or misidentified before they are implanted.

The chip is the size of a long grain of rice, and you can feel it under the skin in skinny cats. It would be right around the middle of the back by the shoulderblades. So it sounds like that's what you are feeling.

You may still have to send in the paperwork to the chip company (the shelter doesn't track that stuff, so they put in the chip and then you have to fill out and mail in the paperwork).

[slvrwhispr]

Anybody else start feeling the backs of their hands to compare the feeling?

[k9Karen]

I'm not sure about the microchips, but I wanted to 'ring in' on the deafness issue. I have a deaf dog. I didn't know Allie was deaf when I got her (only 8 weeks old, all of 3 lbs). There are ways to assess deafness. The easiest is to sneak up on the animal and bag two pot lids together or make some other awful racket. If the cat doesn't react, it's likely she is deaf. Do take her to the vet to make sure there is no infection or other treatable issue causing the deafness.

OK, if she is deaf, this is not the end of the world. The cat DOES NOT KNOW she is deaf. She DOES NOT KNOW she is different. All will be fine. YOU must be sure she does not get out of the house because she will not be able to hear cars on the road and could be in danger. My Allie is the alpha, and she is in charge. She can't hear at all, but she doesn't know she should be able to. My other dogs don't know she is deaf and treat her as the alpha. She acts normal, is normal, and if you didn't know she was deaf, it would not be readily apparent.

So, don't panic. All will be OK and you will adapt to the deaf cat. The cat won't have to adapt - as I said, she doesn't know there is anything different - this is just the way she is!