It has become a compulsory requirement for cat owners to have their prized moggy’s microchipped as new laws come into force today (10th June). With an estimated 2 million cats not ‘chipped’ across England, owners have just two days to seek out a vet. The new law applies to all cats aged 20 weeks and older, including indoor cats. It is hoped that the new legislation will help reunite countless lost cats with their owners as well as prevent thefts of those more pricey felines. From today, if your cat is unchipped you could face a fine of up to £500 if not implemented within 21 days. The one off procedure is quick and relatively painless, causing minimal discomfort to the animal. The chip itself is roughly the size of a single grain of rice and will last for the duration of the animals lifetime without any further action. The RFID chip used, requires no internal power and can be detected by a veterinary surgery with a reader. A unique ID number onboard the chip, corresponds to the recorded owners details and can be used to repatriate the moggy should it become lost. Alice Potter, cat welfare expert at the RSPCA, said: ‘We have seen cats coming into our care who are sadly not microchipped and may never be reunited with their owners. ‘On average, 11 per cent of all cats coming into the RSPCA’s care are still not microchipped. ‘We’ve also rescued cats who have been microchipped but the details haven’t been kept up to date, which is arguably even more frustrating as it means cats spend a long time in our care whilst we fruitlessly try to contact the owner with out-of-date information. ‘However, we’ve also seen countless stories of cats that have been reunited with their owners thanks to a tiny microchip – showing what this change of legislation will achieve for animal welfare.’
