IDENTIFICATION: Your new animal should have identification. This can be a collar with an ID disc attached, with either your contact details or the telephone number of the SPCA that you adopted the animal from. It can also take the form of having a microchip inserted. Provide elasticised collars for cats and kittens.
The advantage of placing a collar and an ID disc on your pet is that it is very visible. However, collars can come off (or be taken off by someone wanting to keep your pet). The advantage of a microchip is that it is permanent way of proving ownership of your pet. However, the microchip is not visible and can only be detected by a scanner. The best solution is to use both methods.
Remember that it may take several weeks or even months for an animal to settle fully with you.
It is important that if by some mishap, your new pet gets out of your property and becomes lost, that it has some sort of identification available to enable it to be returned safely to you.
Animals that have to be returned to SPCA: Any animal adopted from SPCA may not be passed onto anyone else. If there are any reasons you are unable to keep the animal, it must be returned to the SPCA from which you adopted it. Remember that it may take several weeks or even months for an animal to settle fully with you. You may need time to get used to each other and to bond successfully. You can phone the SPCA for advice if you are concerned.
