Cat owners in England could face fines of up to £500 if they fail to get their pets microchipped under new legislation being introduced in Parliament. The rules, which take effect from June 10, 2024, require all cats to be implanted with a microchip before they reach 20 weeks of age, with owners given 21 days to comply if found without one.
Of the estimated nine million pet cats in England, around 2.3 million are thought to be unchipped, making it harder to identify them if they go missing or are stolen. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said 99% of respondents to a consultation supported the move.
England's Chief Veterinary Officer, Christine Middlemiss, said microchipping is the most effective way to reunite lost pets with owners. “As we’ve seen with dog microchipping, those who are microchipped are more than twice as likely to be reunited with their owner,” she said.
Madison Rogers from charity Cats Protection welcomed the law, stating: “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 be swiftly returned home.”
Environment Secretary Therese Coffey said losing a pet can be devastating, adding: “Legislating for compulsory microchipping of cats will give comfort to families by increasing the likelihood that lost or stray pets can be reunited with their owners.”
Microchipping involves inserting a chip the size of a grain of rice under the skin, with a unique serial number registered on a national database. The requirement does not apply to “free living” cats with little or no human interaction.
