Easily transport your bird - to the veterinarian or the park - and keep him close, safe, and secure. Hands-free, vest-style bird carrier has padded shoulder straps and quick-clip waist strap for comfort. Durable mesh fabric allows good airflow and visibility for your bird. Zippered opening at top and bottom allows access. Removable bottom tray catches messes and wipes clean easily. Includes 1/2" diameter beveled perch and two toy hanging loops. For small and medium size birds, such as parakeets, conures, canaries, finches, budgies, and lovebirds.

When the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved implanting microchips in humans, the manufacturer said it would save lives, letting doctors scan the tiny transponders to access patients' medical records almost instantly. The FDA found "reasonable assurance" the device was safe, and a sub-agency even called it one of 2005's top "innovative technologies."

But neither the company nor the regulators publicly mentioned this: A series of veterinary and toxicology studies, dating to the mid-1990s, stated that chip implants had "induced" malignant tumors in some lab mice and rats.

"The transponders were the cause of the tumors," said Keith Johnson, a retired toxicologic pathologist, explaining in a phone interview the findings of a 1996 study he led at the Dow Chemical Co. in Midland, Mich.

Leading cancer specialists reviewed the research for The Associated Press and, while cautioning that animal test results do not necessarily apply to humans, said the findings troubled them. Some said they would not allow family members to receive implants, and all urged further research before the glass-encased transponders are widely implanted in people.

Microchips are responsible for thousands of happy reunions between owners and pets every year. With the large amount of lost pets taken to shelters, microchips could also keep your pet from being euthanized or sold to a new owner.

"Microchips are only about the size of a grain of rice," said Patty Hug, a veterinary technician at the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences at Texas A & M University. "They are made to last the entire life of the pet, so once it's inserted, no upkeep or replacements are necessary."

Microchips are injected through a fairly large needle. Cats tend to cope with the injection easily, but dogs often need sedation during the procedure, says Hug. She says the best time to install the microchip is while the pet is being spayed or neutered. The pet is already under anesthesia, so it won't feel any pain.