One in three cat homeowners in England aren’t conscious that in eight weeks, new legal guidelines can be introduced in that require felines to have a chip.
But although the UK is a nation of cat lovers with practically a 3rd of homeowners (30 per cent) stating they love their cat greater than people, some have nonetheless not microchipped their furry associates.
As the clock counts down and the brand new guidelines come into impact, these homeowners who don’t take motion to microchip their cat by the deadline danger breaking the regulation and dealing with a wonderful of as much as £500.
The analysis of two,000 cat homeowners discovered one in 5 homeowners say their feline has gone lacking from their home, with 70 per cent stating this occurs a couple of instances yearly for a mean of three days.
For veterinary practices, animal welfare organisations and different animal well being professionals it may be extremely difficult to reunite unchipped pet cats with their proprietor if they’re lacking or stolen.
Despite this, one in 4 cat homeowners are nonetheless but to get their cat microchipped. Cat homeowners are being urged to make an appointment at their native veterinary apply to urgently organize microchipping.
Posting their cat on social media is probably the most generally cited motion a cat proprietor says they might first take if their pet went lacking (27 per cent).
However, reporting it to the feline’s microchip database also needs to be prime on the precedence listing.
Reducing the chance
According to Michelle Townley, veterinary adviser to HomeAgain®, a part of MSD Animal Health, microchipping gives homeowners one of the best likelihood of being reunited with their cat as shortly as doable.
She stated: “It is absolutely heartbreaking when a beloved cat goes missing and it is often our biggest fear when it comes to our pets. They are notoriously curious animals and frequently get themselves stuck in people’s garages, sheds or even delivery vehicles.
“Sadly, I’ve heard countless stories of cats going missing miles away after being caught in postal vans. When a pet is found and taken to a shelter or veterinary clinic, the first thing they do is scan the animal for a microchip.
“Unlike collars and tags that can get lost or removed, microchipping provides a permanent and effective means of identification. It is a quick, painless and simple procedure that gives owners peace of mind that their cat can be easily identified once they’re found.”
Owners ought to register their cat’s microchip with a Government compliant microchip registration database akin to HomeAgain’s Pet Recovery Database, and preserve particulars updated.
There are stark variations throughout the nation with regards to the variety of felines that go lacking and the numbers microchipped, revealed in HomeAgain’s Cat Map of the UK, based mostly on the survey outcomes.
Birmingham is lagging behind different main cities because the June cat microchipping deadline approaches.
Nearly 4 in 10 (39 per cent) of homeowners haven’t microchipped their pet or are unaware if they’ve executed so, although one in 5 say their cat goes lacking a couple of instances every week.
In the capital, 24 per cent have misplaced their cat earlier than with over 1 / 4 (28 per cent) of Londoners stating their cat steadily goes lacking for as much as 2-4 days.
Arrange the appointment
However, extra 1 / 4 (28 per cent) haven’t microchipped their cat or are not sure if they’ve executed so. This compares starkly with Gloucester the place solely 5 per cent of cat homeowners say they’re but to microchip their pet.
Alice Potter, RSPCA cat welfare knowledgeable, stated: “We sadly see many incidents where cats have been hit by a car or strayed away from home who never end up being reunited with their owner as they weren’t microchipped.
“Microchipping your pet is the surest way to help ensure that should they get lost or become injured they can be reunited with you.
“Pets are like family members and so we understand the pain and distress of losing a much-loved pet; but by ensuring they are microchipped – and the details kept up-to-date – cat owners are much more likely to be reunited with their companions.”
Cat the Vet, a UK certified and practising vet in addition to social media influencer with over 323.6k followers on TikTok, stated: “With 1.5 million cats yet to be chipped in the UK, the vet profession is going to have a busy few months ahead.
“As well as being required by law from June, microchipping is a key way for vets to reunite cats with their beloved families. It’s a quick, stress-free process for cats and their owners and new technology means some chips can even accurately read body temperature – paying even more dividends than just identification!”
“All cats have the potential to go missing, even the ones who live 100 per cent indoors with windows easily being left open.
“Plus, our senior kitties can get easily confused if they wander too far. I urge all those with a feline family member who isn’t microchipped to contact their vet as soon as possible to arrange microchipping for their cat. It will give you peace of mind now and for the future.”
