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The government has announced new pet microchipping rules which will aim to ensure that lost or stray pet cats are more likely to be reunited with their owners and returned home.
Under the new plans, all keepers must ensure their pet is microchipped before they reach the age of 20 weeks and their contact details stored and kept up to date in a pet microchipping database.
Owners found not to have microchipped their cat will have 21 days to have one implanted, or may face a fine of up to £500.
The new microchipping rules follow a government call for evidence and consultation on the issue in which 99% of respondents expressed support for the measure.
Lord Goldsmith, animal welfare minister, said: “Cats are much-loved parts of our families and making sure that they’re microchipped is the best possible way of making sure that you are reunited with them if they are ever lost or stolen.
“These new rules will help protect millions of cats across the country and will be brought in alongside a range of other protections we are introducing under our action plan for animal welfare.”
Jacqui Cuff, head of advocacy and government relations, Cats Protection, added: “As the UK’s leading cat charity, we have been at the forefront of the campaign for compulsory microchipping of pet cats.
“Every day, we see how important microchipping is for cats and for 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.”
