Three month warning for cat owners before rules change – or face £500 fine

CAT owners still have three months to act before there is a major change to the rules, which could see you hit with a £500 fine.

It comes a year after the government introduced legislation to parliament to make it mandatory for households to microchip their cats.

Brits have until June 10, 2024 to have their cat microchipped.

Under the new rules, cats must be implanted with a microchip before they reach 20 weeks of age and their contact details must be stored and updated in a pet microchip database.

The goal is to make it easier for stray or stray domestic cats to get home safely.

Any owner found not to have had their cat microchipped has 21 days to have one implanted or face a fine of up to £500.

According to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), there are more than nine million domestic cats in England, of which as many as 2.3 million are not microchipped.

Mandatory chipping of dogs has been in force since April 2016.

Microchipping involves placing a chip, usually the size of a grain of rice, under a pet’s skin.

This has a unique serial number that the holder must register in a database.

When an animal is found, the microchip can be read with a scanner and the registered owner identified in a database, so the pet can be quickly reunited with him or her.

However, the new cat microchipping rules are not mandatory for free-living cats with little or no human interaction or dependency, such as farm cats, feral cats or community cats.

Owners of cats who are already microchipped should ensure their details are up to date, Defra said.

Commenting on the change, Chief Veterinarian Christine Middlemiss said: “Microchips are by far the most effective and fastest way to identify lost pets.

“As we have seen with dog chipping, chipped dogs are more than twice as likely to be reunited with their owners.

“By microchipping their cat, owners can increase the chance of being reunited with their beloved pet if it goes missing.”

The move was also welcomed by Cats Protection, the cat rescue and welfare charity.

Since the measure was first introduced for dogs, Cats Protection has been calling for all cats to be microchipped.

Madison Rogers from Cats Protection said: “The charity regularly reunites owners with their beloved cats, and in most cases this is only possible thanks to microchipping.

“No matter how far from home they are found, or how long they have been missing, if a cat has a microchip, there is a good chance that a lost cat will cat will be returned home soon.”

How much does it cost to have a microchip inserted?

Costs vary, but microchipping usually costs between $10 and $30 per pet.

Some veterinary clinics and charities offer discounted microchipping programs in addition to sterilization.

To find the best option for you and your pet, research what’s available in your area

How are they implanted?

Microchips are implanted under your pet’s skin between the shoulder blades using a needle. It is a very quick procedure that takes just a few seconds.

Microchips can only be implanted by veterinarians, veterinary nurses and people who have been specially trained.

Like any injection, chipping can cause a little discomfort, but fortunately it is a very quick procedure that only takes a few seconds.

Most pets barely notice and can easily be distracted with a treat during and after the procedure.

Microchips are made of non-reactive materials, so once they are in place they should not hurt or cause any problems for their entire life.