Q: Our cat, Felix, 11, was once an indoor/outdoor cat. Then, our vet and your columns finally convinced me to keep him indoors. I think Felix even began to appreciate air conditioning.
Last week, however, our little girl left the door open and Felix wandered outside. We were frantic.
Four hours later, we got a call from the shelter; they'd scanned Felix, found his microchip and our phone number came up. The shelter told us the microchip might have saved Felix's life. Do you think so?
A: Absolutely! The microchip probably did save your cat's life. Because more of us are keeping cats indoors (which I endorse), we assume they'll never get out. As your story illustrates, even indoor cats can escape. At least your cat had some outdoor savvy; many indoor cats do not.
If a cat without a microchip is picked up by animal control (remember, most cats don't wear collars with ID tags), the facility may hold the pet for only a set number of days before euthanizing. Or the cat may be swapped to another facility (a common practice nowadays to prevent euthanizing), making it more difficult for the owner to find. READ MORE >
Jump(ADOPTED)
Jump! Our dear rabbit does exactly that whenever he’s happy. He’s a sweetie and spunky pie! Gender: Male Breed: Local Colour: White/Brown Age: 1 years
Soup(ADOPTED)
Tiny Soup needs to put on a little more weight. He’s a tad shy but still welcomes the warm pats on his head. Gender: Male Breed: Local Colour: White Age: 3 months
Sloppy(ADOPTED)
Sloppy will certainly attract your attention with her pretty brown and white streaks in her incredibly soft fur. Gender: Female Breed: Fuzzy Lop Colour: Brown/White Age: 6 months
Brandy(ADOPTED)
Brandy is cute! You can actually hear her teeth chatter when she’s nervous, so she will need a quiet home where she can play without worries! Gender: Female Breed: Abyssinian Colour: Brindle/White Age: 1 year
Gluttonmouse(ADOPTED)
Gluttonmouse is certainly no glutton. But this chincilla is a glutton for love and affection. Just be super gentle when you handle him. Gender: Male Breed: Chinchilla Colour: Standard Grey Age: 1 years
Bluey(ADOPTED)
Bluey is a pretty boy! He loves pats on his head and is an inquisitive bunny! Gender: Male Breed: Local Colour: Blue Age: 4 months
Purity(ADOPTED)
Purity as his name suggests is just pure love and beauty. He may look like your common white rabbit but he makes up for it with being the sweetest rabbit around. Gender: Male Breed: Local Colour: White Age: 5months
Roca(ADOPTED)
Roca looks like a character out of LOTR with his snowy white sheen of coat and dark, mysterious eyes. He’s actually a very simple rabbit looking for love! Gender: Male Breed: Holland Lop Colour: White/Brown Age: 9 months
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*The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) is the only animal welfare organisation in Singapore that takes in unlimited numbers of unwanted and abandoned strays and pets. If you are considering pet adoption, or giving up your pet or a stray to the SPCA, try to find the animal a home before contacting SPCA.
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Herpetologist R. D. Bartlett, author of nearly 50 books on reptiles and amphibians, including "Corn Snakes" (Barron's Educational Series, 1999), says, "They're large enough to impress friends but don't have the needs of massive snakes." Read more>
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Arachnologist Rick West of Victoria, British Columbia, warns against impulsively buying tarantulas. There are 850 species, but for pets, only buy those bred in captivity. The most popular are the Chilean Rosehair, Pinktoe (a species that likes to climb - unusual for a tarantula), Mexican Red-Knee, and the 10 ˝-inch Brazilian Salmon tarantula.
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