As of June 10, 2024, a new law has come into force in England, mandating that all cat owners must have their pets microchipped. This move aims to enhance pet safety and facilitate reunions between lost or stray cats and their owners.
Here are the key points about the mandatory microchipping requirement:
- Age Requirement: Cat owners must ensure that their feline companions are microchipped before they reach 20 weeks of age. The microchip should contain the owner’s contact details, which must be kept up to date in an approved pet microchipping database.
- Benefits of Microchipping: With over 9 million pet cats in England, this legislation will significantly improve the chances of lost or stray cats being reunited with their families. Microchipping has already been compulsory for dogs and has proven to be the most effective method for identifying lost pets. Microchipped dogs are more than twice as likely to be reunited with their owners.
- Safe and Simple Procedure: Microchips are safe and easy to implant. The average cost for microchipping and registration is approximately £25. Charities and reputable cat rescue organisations may offer reduced rates for microchipping services.
- How It Works: The microchipping process involves inserting a tiny chip, about the size of a grain of rice, under the cat’s skin. Each microchip has a unique serial number, which the cat’s keeper registers in a database. When a lost cat is found, a scanner can read the microchip, allowing the registered keeper to be quickly identified and reunited with their pet.
- Indoor Cats Included: Even indoor cats must be microchipped. Ensuring their contact details are up to date in the pet microchipping database is essential.
- Exemptions: Free-living cats that have little or no human interaction or dependency, such as farm, feral, or community cats, are exempt from this requirement.
- Legal Deadline: The legislation was confirmed in March 2023, giving cat owners over a year to comply. Failure to do so could result in fines of up to £500.
