CAT MICROCHIPPING NOW MANDATORY
Source: gov.uk (Extract)
Posted: June 10, 2024
Starting today (10 June), all cat owners are required by new legislation to have their pets microchipped.
Owners must ensure their cats are microchipped before they reach 20 weeks of age, with their contact details stored and regularly updated in an approved pet microchipping database.
With over 9 million pet cats in England, this mandatory microchipping initiative aims to facilitate the swift reunion of lost or stray cats with their owners, ensuring they can safely return home. Microchipping, already compulsory for dogs, has proven to be the most effective method for identifying lost pets, significantly increasing the chances of reunion—microchipped dogs are more than twice as likely to be reunited with their owners.
Microchips are safe and simple to implant, typically costing around £25 for microchipping and registration. Charities and reputable cat rescue organizations may offer microchipping services at 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.
