Cat owners urged to microchip pets ahead of new law to aid rehoming charities

Families are being urged to microchip their cats to help ease the burden on rescue centres and rehoming charities.

From June 10, all domestic cats in England must be microchipped, and owners who fail to comply could face fines of up to £500.  An estimated 2.3 million cats in the UK remain unchipped, which poses challenges for identification and reunion with their owners.

Pet charities could cut costs relating to feeding, sheltering, and rehoming if every cat had a microchip linking them to their owners. 

Amelia Battersby, a vet at Pet Health Club — a preventative healthcare subscription that includes microchipping among its benefits — highlighted the numerous advantages of microchipping.  She said: "Microchipping cats is not only about complying with the new law but also about ensuring the welfare of our pets. 

"It offers a straightforward solution for pet owners to keep their cats safe and should also help reduce the number of lost cats ending up in rescue centres."

Amelia has helped develop a comprehensive resource for cat owners concerned about the new legislation, featuring Q&As, step-by-step guides, and more information, which you can visit by clicking here.

Microchipping is quick, relatively painless, and affordable, with many vet practices, including those offering Pet Health Club, providing the service for between £10 and £50.  Around 160,000 cats end up in shelters and rescue centres across the UK every year, and it's hoped compulsory microchipping will help reduce this number.

"Losing a cat is a terrible experience for both pets and their owners," said Amelia, who is based at Holly House Vets in Leeds. "If microchipping improves the chances of just one lost cat being returned to its owner, then it's worth doing.

"This should also relieve the burden on animal charities and rescue centres, allowing them to focus resources on animals in real need.  Microchipping your cat and ensuring your details on the database are up to date is a simple step every owner can take to ensure their cat can always find their way home."

There are around 11 million cats in the UK, which means one in four households has one.  Research suggests that England is home to more than 1000 groups dedicated to the rescue and rehoming of pets.

Madison Rogers, head of advocacy, campaigns and government relations for Cats Protection, said around six in 10 cats that come into their care in England are not microchipped.  She warned: "It can be impossible to tell if a cat is a stray or has, in fact, got a loving home. Though we do our very best to trace owners, including trawling lost and found registers and using social media, the chances of a successful reunite are much reduced in the absence of a microchip.  This places a strain on our resources and means we may need to rehome cats that already have owners."

Madison continued: "We see first-hand why microchipping is so important for cats and 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.  We reunite 3000 lost cats with their owners each year — and can vastly improve on this in the future if every pet cat is microchipped."

Pet Health Club is committed to the welfare of pets and encourages all cat owners to microchip their cats before the new law takes effect.  To join and get microchipping as part of your benefits, visit https://www.pet-advice.thepethealthclub.co.uk/