Anyone who has lost their cat, even for a brief period of time, understands how important an engraved cat collar tag is to getting your pet home safely. While some folks rely on microchips, a more traditional approach of pet ownership identification can help to get your little furball home faster. After all, it might just be a few houses over from yours.

However, the key to a useful engraved cat collar tag is knowing what information to include on it and which bits to exclude.

If you are wondering what to put on your engraved cat ID tags, here is everything you need to know.

Essential Engraved Cat Collar Tag Information

Unfortunately, most engraved cat collar tags are too small to fit all of the information we would like to communicate if someone finds our lost kitty. Therefore, you will need to pick which bits are most important.

In order of importance, here are the things that you should include:

1. Your Pet’s Name

This one might be a bit controversial, as there are some folks who vehemently oppose this practice. The argument for not including this information on a cat collar is that there are shady people out there who will steal your cat. In fact, this can be true, with specific breeds getting stolen more often than other types of cats. These people think that if a person can call your cat by name, it will be easier to steal.

While this is an understandable concern, it is not too relevant for most people and is unlikely to happen to common breeds of house cat. Moreover, if a person is close enough to read the engraved cat collar tag, they are close enough to snatch your feline friend. Also, treats would probably work better anyway.

However, for those who have more noble intentions, knowing your cat’s name can be helpful in getting your pet home safely.

2. Your Phone Number

If you want your animal to be returned, contact information is critical. Since you are not always home, putting your phone number on an engraved cat collar tag is a better bet than your home address.

You also might consider including an alternate number, if space allows.

3. Your Address

As mentioned earlier, if your fluffy friend gets out, there is a fair chance that it will only roam a few houses over. If so, a neighbor could potentially find your cat. In this scenario, the quickest way to get your kitty home is to put your address on the tag.

However, in the event that your cat travels further, it is important to have your full address on the engraved cat collar tag.

Even if you purchase tiny cat ID tags, you will probably still have enough space for your cat’s name and your phone number and address, at the minimum.

4. Medical Needs

A panoply of pets need to take daily medication for a multitude of reasons. If your pet gets lost, listing any physical conditions or medications it needs to take will be invaluable for keeping your cat healthy while it is waiting to come home.

5. Microchip Information

The majority of today’s pets are microchipped. For this reason, if your cat gets lost, it could be helpful to have the microchip company name on your engraved cat collar tag.

The reason you would put the company’s name is that when a lost pet is scanned at a shelter or clinic, the chip produces a long nine- to 15-digit number. The shelter or vet must then establish which company that number belongs to in order to secure the owner’s identity and information. Printing the microchip company’s name on the tag can save that person a lot of time, thereby getting your pet home sooner.

Putting the Right Info on Your Cat’s ID Tags

Ensuring that your cat wears its collar is critical. Making sure that the cat’s ID tag has the right information on it is equally as vital.

Take these five bits of information into consideration when you order an engraved cat collar tag for your furry friend.

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