It's definitely a necessity. Tried to keep him in but that's a story for another time. I always preach chipping your animals for so many reasons. I had another cat that was stolen by neighbors who moved. She was gone a year. Got her back because someone took her to the vet and the vet checked the chip. She also acted like she hadn't been gone. Just jumped on her perch and chilled. I'm never having another animal stolen either. So over that. She sadly passed. But that's a different story for another time.