All pet cats will have to be microchipped by 2023 under new laws aimed at reuniting lost and stolen animals with their owners.
Refusal by owners to get a chip would be a criminal offence, with fines of up to £500, the Government said yesterday.
Around 2.8million of the UK’s 10.8million pet cats are estimated to be unchipped, making it difficult to reunite them with their owners if they get lost or stolen.
Cat theft is increasing – up 12 per cent in 2020 on the previous year, according to police figures.
Pedigree cats are targeted by thieves for breeding or resale if found to be neutered, with Bengals, Siamese, British short hairs and Maine coons the most sought-after breeds, according to the group Pet Theft Awareness.
The new rules on cats will bring them into line with dogs, which are already required to have a microchip. About 90 per cent of all dogs have them.
Kittens will be expected to be given a microchip before they reach the age of 20 weeks.
Owners found not to have microchipped their cat will have 21 days to have one implanted or may face a fine of up to £500.
Around 99 per cent of respondents in a Government consultation expressed support for the measure, officials said.
Eight out of ten stray cats coming into the Cats Protection charity’s centres are not microchipped.
Having the implants is painless. It involves inserting a small chip – the size of a rice grain – with a unique serial number under a cat’s skin and costs £15 to £30.
This number can be read by a scanner and checked against a microchip database to help reunite lost pets quicker with their registered keeper. Cat owners will be expected to keep their address details held on the database up to date, which can involve extra charges.
Animal welfare minister Lord Goldsmith said: ‘Cats are much-loved parts of our families and making sure that they’re microchipped is the best possible way of making sure that you are reunited with them if they are ever lost or stolen.
These new rules will help protect millions of cats across the country and will be brought in alongside a range of other protections we are introducing under our action plan for animal welfare.’
Jacqui Cuff, head of advocacy and government relations at Cats Protection, said: ‘As the country’s leading cat charity, we have been at the forefront of the campaign for compulsory microchipping of pet cats.
‘Every day, we see how important microchipping is for cats and for the people who love them – whether it’s reuniting a lost cat with their owner, identifying an injured cat, or helping to ensure an owner can be informed in the sad event that their cat has been hit and killed by a car.
‘Microchipping is by far the most effective and quickest way of identifying lost cats and can help ease the pressure on rescue charities like Cats Protection.
Without a microchip, a lost cat will most likely end up being re-homed as there is often no trace of their original owner.’
@nabob @Pinkaholic79 💖🦄🌺 @roz @renatew5😺🐶 @harryflatters @Tanith @Rustyfrog @Flossy 🧁🧁 @Flotson @Janet 💋🍰🍝🍹 etc etc
There's an obvious error here, Government! If the offending feline isn't chipped, how are the Cat Police supposed to find out who the owner is and arrest them, then throw them in the slammer?
Finally! Our cats were microchiped for free when working at Plumpton College, students needed pets for their test, they were obviously supervised. Can't believe how many ppl don't microchip or have the "bits done" [@Happygirl]
When I found my Tilly Puss and her brother and sister outside the park entrance across the road in a tatty damp cardboard box among a nettle clump, I deposited them in my coat pockets and in my jumper and my old Pippa dog and I went back across the road and home. They were looked after by my son John, while I took Pippa for a quick walk in the park. My friend June was awaiting my return, John had called her and she sprang into action with a cat carrier. We phoned the vet and took the three little bundles to the vet. They were estimated with an age of just about 5 weeks, were examined and deloused. Food and advice were gladly offered and taken and all three were microchipped two weeks later. This happened 14 years just after my husband had passed away from cancer. It helped for a while from the grieving process. Tilly Puss stayed with me, the grey tabby tom stayed with June my friend and the black and white girl went with my neighbour. All three were microchipped at the same time. The vet clinic did not charge a penny because we adopted the kittens
and when it came to the time to be neutered we also got a discount.
The little black & white (Poppy) now lives in Weston Super Mare and Tigger the tabby tom went to the Cat Protection for re-homing after June passed away two years ago. Tigger was under the Cat Guardian protection. Tilly Puss is getting old and together with Patty dog, wherever Patty goes Tilly follows. Patty was microchipped at the Dogs Trust the day before I collected her from the Dogs Trust in Kenilworth near Warwick Castle. @Happygirl @roz
And about time too as well !
So many people get a cat as they think it is easy and it will look after itself, WRONG !
Also some people see a cute kitten and do not think of when that Kitten grows up.
Vets Bills, Feeding costs etc
An animal is for life and if you cannot afford it then do not get one.