Following legislation published in March last year, cat owners will face a £500 penalty if their feline doesn’t have a chip fitted.
It aims to make it easier for lost or stray pets to be reunited with their owners safely, after microchipping was proved to be the most effective way of returning pets safely.
The price to insert the device in your cat costs between £10 and £30, according to the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA). The average is around £25, but some charities and cat rescue organisations may proceed with a reduced rate if you are struggling to pay for one.
Microchips are around the same size as a grain of rice and are inserted under the skin of your pet. They have a unique serial number that registers on a database.
If your pet gets lost and later found, it can then be scanned and identified, meaning a speedy return can be arranged.
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Your details to include in the microchip are:
- Pet’s unique ID number
- Name and home address
- Mobile number
- Email address
Should your details change, for example, if you moved home, it is up to you to update the information stored on the chip with your vet.
Out of the estimated nine million pets in England, the only cats exempt from microchipping are ones that live “with little or no human interaction or dependency”. This is most likely to be farm, feral or community cats.
‘Make an appointment today’
Anna Judson, British Veterinary Association president, said: “With the deadline for compulsory microchipping fast approaching, we urge owners with unchipped cats to make an appointment with their practice today.
“If you have any concerns or are unsure if your cat needs to be chipped, please speak to your vet.”
Meanwhile, the issue of unchipped pets was a problem last year for rescue centres like Battersea Dogs and Cats Home.
Michael Webb, its head of policy and public affairs, said that more than two-thirds of the cats brought to its centres last year were not microchipped, “making it incredibly difficult for us to trace an owner or help the cat return home.”
Webb added: “Now that owners will be required to get their pet cats microchipped and keep their details up to date, rescues like Battersea can reunite more missing cats, and owners can avoid the devastation of losing their pet.”
