UK makes microchipping mandatory for cats
The new rule, coming into effect in 2024, follows the example of similar legislation in countries such as Japan and Turkey.
To ensure cats don’t get lost and strays identified, the UK government passed legislation making cat microchipping compulsory. All kittens are to be microchipped before 20 weeks.
The rules, however, don’t apply to “free living cats that live with little or no human interaction or dependency,” such as farm, feral, or community cats.
Pet parents failing to microchip their felines could face a fine of up to £500 (€570/$608). The new regulation will be enforced on 10 June 2024.
“Legislating for compulsory microchipping of cats will [comfort] families by increasing the likelihood that lost or stray pets can be reunited with their owners,” said Thérèse Coffey, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
More than 2 million cats are not chipped
According to the UK, there are more than 9 million cats in England alone, of which 2.3 million aren’t yet chipped. In October 2019, the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs called for the public’s opinion on making chipping mandatory.
As many as 99% of submissions demanded compulsory microchipping to ensure cat welfare and pledged to support the bill.
Added strain
The British Veterinary Association (BVA) agreed that microchipping is a key element of responsible cat ownership. Still, it echoed fears that the move may “exacerbate ongoing issues with access to database records.”
“We’re mindful of the increased administrative burden compulsory microchipping of dogs brought to vet practices. Today, the veterinary workforce is under even more strain. So with just over a year until the new rules come into effect, this issue must be resolved by introducing a single point of access to all animal database records for practices and owners,” said BVA President Malcolm Morley.
Similar rulings
In the US, the Houston City Council passed a ruling in January 2022 making microchipping obligatory for all cats and dogs in the city. The rule came into effect on 1 February 2023.
Today, along with Texas, 12 US states have made it mandatory for dogs and cats to be microchipped.
In June 2022, the Japanese parliament revised the Act on Welfare and Management of Animals and included a provision requiring dogs and cats to be microchipped by breeders and pet stores. However, it wasn’t made compulsory for pet parents. The decree has 3 years to roll out.
Turkey adopted a similar ruling in 2021, obligating pet parents to microchip their animals by December 2022. According to local media, more than 1.4 million new chipped pets are believed to be registered in the country’s PetVet Registration System (PETVET).