Preparations are under method for the intro of required cat microchipping in England under the Action Plan for Animal Welfare, making it much easier for lost or roaming family pet cats to be reunited with their owners and returned home securely.
Under the brand-new strategies, all keepers need to guarantee their family pet is microchipped prior to they reach the age of 20 weeks and their contact information kept and maintained to date in an animal microchip database.
Owners discovered not to have actually microchipped their cat will have actually 21 days to have one implanted or might deal with a fine of approximately £500. This brand-new legislation will begin on June 10 2024.
Lancaster Vets has actually invited the relocation and think it will spare cat owners the distress and fret if their family pet goes missing out on, along with enhance cat well-being with less strays abandoned on the streets.
The easy treatment includes placing a little chip with a unique identification number under a cat’s skin. This number can be checked out by a scanner and inspected versus a microchip database to help reunite lost, hurt or taken family pets quicker with their signed up keeper.
Helen Griffin, scientific director at Lancaster Vets in Bowerham Road, said: “Cats are much-loved parts of our families and making sure that they’re microchipped is the best possible way to reunite them with their owners if they are ever lost, injured or stolen.
“Losing a cat can be so distressing but, if they are chipped, then there is a better chance their owners can be traced, as long as they keep contact details up to date on the database. Microchips are safe, easy to implant and effective. Unlike collars and ID tags, they don’t come off and they don’t put your cat at risk of injury.
“The easiest time to do this is when cats are booked in for neutering at 20 weeks and are anaesthetised so we would encourage owners to discuss both options – neutering and microchipping – with their vet.”
