Owners must ensure their cat is microchipped
10 June 2024 (U.K.) :
All cat owners should now have their pets microchipped as
new legislation comes into force today (10 June).
With more than 9 million pet cats in England, the introduction of
mandatory microchipping will make it easier for lost or stray pet cats to be
reunited with their owners and returned home safely. Microchipping is already
compulsory for dogs and is proven to be the most effective method for
identifying lost pets, with microchipped dogs more than twice as likely to be
reunited with their owner.
Microchips are safe and easy to implant with an average cost of around
£25 for microchipping and registration. Charities and reputable cat rescue
organisations may be able to microchip your cat for a reduced rate.
The process of microchipping involves the insertion of a chip, generally
around the size of a grain of rice, under the skin of a pet. The microchip has
a unique serial number that the keeper needs to register on a database. When an
animal is found, the microchip can be read with a scanner and the registered
keeper identified on a database so the pet can quickly be reunited with them.
Owned cats must be microchipped before reaching 20 weeks of age, with
their contact details stored and kept up to date on a pet
microchipping database. This includes cats that usually only
stay indoors.
Microchipping is not compulsory for free living cats that live with
little or no human interaction or dependency, such as farm, feral or community
cats.
The legal deadline was confirmed in legislation
laid in March 2023 giving owners overs a year to comply with
the new requirements. Failing to comply with the law could see owners receive a
fine of up to £500.