Deadline today for cat owners to microchip pets or face fines | UK News

Millions of cat owners in England face a fine of up to £500 if they fail to microchip their cat and register it on a database under new laws coming into force from today.

The legislation applies to cats aged 20 weeks or older – but of the estimated nine million pet cats in the country, up to 2.2 million are still unchipped, according to data from the charity Cats Protection.

It costs between £20 and £30 to have a cat microchipped by a vet, the charity said.

Around a quarter of owners who were unable to microchip their cats said this was because their pet did not venture outdoors, and around 14% said it was identifiable by its collar, according to research by the charity .

Owners who do not have their pet microchipped will have 21 days to have it implanted or face a financial penalty.

The mandatory regime aims to facilitate the reunion of lost or stray pet cats with their owners.

Madison Rogers, head of advocacy, campaigns and government relations at Cats Protection, said: “Some owners think they will never experience the trauma of losing their pet cat, but last year 115,000 pet cats in England went missing and never returned home.

“Cats are agile and extremely agile and can easily escape without us noticing.

“Many lost cats live scary lives on the streets. No food, no water, no shelter, no veterinary care and constantly at risk of serious injury or death from many hazards such as cars and wild animals.

“Collars can easily fall off, become damaged, making address details illegible and, if not released quickly, can become caught in obstacles such as tree branches, causing injury to the cat.

“A microchip is secure, stays with your cat for life and is linked to contact details that are stored securely in a database.”

Nutmeg, a cat owned by Sandra Sinclair, a teacher from Tooting, south-west London, was found wandering the streets of Ascot in Berkshire, 30 miles from home, after going missing.

The feline was reunited with his family after his microchip was scanned by Cats Protection.

Sinclair said only Nutmeg will know how he arrived at Ascot, but added the family were “relieved” to have him microchipped.

See more information:
Microchipping Pet Cats – What You Need to Know

Alice Potter, cat welfare expert at the RSPCA, said: “We have seen cats coming into our care who, unfortunately, are not microchipped and may never be reunited with their owners.

“On average, 11% of all cats coming into RSPCA care do not yet have a microchip.

“We have also rescued cats that have been microchipped, but the details have not been kept up to date, which is even more frustrating as it means the cats spend a lot of time in our care while we try unsuccessfully to contact their owner. updated informations.

“However, we have also seen countless stories of cats being reunited with their owners thanks to a tiny microchip – showing what this change in legislation will achieve for animal welfare.”