All cat owners ‘one month away’ from being hit with £500 fines

A warning has been issued for cat owners to microchip their cat in the next month – or risk breaking the law and being hit with a £500 fine.

From 10 June 2024, a new law comes into force which requires all cats in England to be microchipped and registered on a database by the age of 20 weeks. Otherwise, landowners could face a huge fine. The legislation also gives local authorities the power to confiscate cats and microchip them, before returning the cats to their owners and issuing them with a bill.

Once the new law goes into effect, owners without their cat’s microchip will have just 21 days to get one implanted. After the 21 days, owners can face a fine of up to £500. It is estimated that around three million cats in the UK are currently not microchipped.

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Part of the reason for the change is that it can be difficult for veterinary professionals, animal welfare organizations and local councils to reunite cats without a microchip with their owners if they are lost or stolen, a spokesman explained of feline charity Cats Matter. .

They added: “Microchipping is an inexpensive procedure and is quite simple and quick to do and can save owners the pain of never getting their cats back or never having closure should the worst happen bad and could save a cat’s life. Unfortunately, we see all the time that road accident victims end up being euthanized with simple cuts and bruises, simply because no owner can be located via a microchip. When we say it could be a matter of life or death, we’re not kidding.”

The microchipping process involves quickly and painlessly inserting a chip, generally the size of a grain of rice, under the skin. The microchip has a unique serial number that the holder must register in a database. When a cat is found, the microchip can be read with a scanner and the registered owner can be identified in a database so that the pet can be quickly reunited with them.

Microchipping also ensures that cat owners are informed if their pet is involved in an accident. A spokesperson for Cats Matter said: “Even house cats can escape through windows, doors or of course carriers on the way to the vet. Our efforts have always been and will continue to be focused on the welfare of cats first, followed by the rights and needs of their owners. We urge all cat owners who have not yet microchipped their cat to make an appointment with their local vet or nearest registered implanter.

“It is vital that people book through a trained and registered implanter to prevent injury or potential complications to their beloved cat. We urge people to act now to prevent a huge fine.”

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