Polly Want a...Homing Device?

“I'm Mr. Yosuke Nakamura,” a lost parrot in Japan told a vet this month. The pet bird proceeded to tell the vet his full address, down to the street number.
 
This trick that the Nakamura family taught their pet resulted in its safe return after it flew out of its cage and escaped the family’s residence.
 
In the event that your pet can talk, this is a great way to ensure that it will be returned to you should it get lost. “What’s that, Lassie? You say that you live at 1504 Blue River Terrace?” However, if Fido or Fluffy are having difficulty with their English, there are other ways to help aid in their safe return.
 
According to the Humane Society, proper identification tags are your pet’s first ticket home. Beyond that, microchips are a great tool for finding a lost pet. The Humane Society urges you to be informed about the chips, though. As of 2003, different chips were introduced that not all vets are able to read. Make sure the chip you are getting will be readable by your local vet. You can also call the microchip manufacturer and ask that they send at least one scanner to your local facility free of charge.
 
Have you taken steps to make sure that your pet can be returned if it gets lost? Do you have any suggestions beyond these to help ensure a pet’s recovery? Oh...and if you've taught your cat to speak, we definitely want to know.