>All owners must have their cat microchipped by June 10th 2024.
Any owner who is found not to have microchipped their cat will have 21 days to have one implanted, or they may face a fine of up to £500.
TIL this wasn’t already compulsory, but my biggest question not answered in the article is how will this be enforced?
If a stray is found without a microchip there’s no way of finding the owner so no way of fining them, you’re relying on luck that the owner happens to come across a “found cat” post on social media and then goes to collect the cat from the shelter knowing they risk a £500 fine if they’re reported by the shelter.
Additionally, I guess this could also be enforced by Vets, but then you’re asking an already drastically understaffed, horribly underpaid and highly stressed workforce to take on more work to help enforce this by reporting people? Vets are bound by their equivalent of doctor-patient confidentiality so I’m not sure how that one would even work unless a specific legal exception was made for that case.
I do not doubt this is a well intentioned law, but a law without enforcement provides little benefit.
I started having my cats chipped pretty soon after they became available here.
Mostly because I know too many people whose cats have disappeared, and who hope for months and months that the bloody thing will just wander back in at some point, when in reality their dear beast was either found dead and disposed of or shipped off to a cat shelter.
Please make it mandatory to have your dogs dna on file, and create a job where they go around testing shit left in the street.
It’s been compulsory to chip dogs since 2016, it’s about time this was brought into line.
My cat is 21 years old and doesn’t leave the house. I’m not chipping her now.
Chipping a cat is always a good idea. It’s horrible when they go missing and sometimes a chip is the only way to identify who owns it.
That’s great, but can they maybe focus their energy on the dog problem in this country too?
So tired of crap dog owners with completely untrained dangerous animals everywhere and even more tired of seeing another article every week about how some poor kid or animal has been killed by one of a handful of specific breeds.
It has been compulsory for breeders of dogs to microchip before the puppies are homed for a good few years now yet my Facebook page is full of posts from the stray kennels where found dogs either aren’t chipped or the chip isn’t registered. I’m sure the law helps a bit but a lot of dogs are still being let down.
My young cat was chipped by the breeder and I’ve registered him to my name and address so that is all good. My old girl is probably in the last stages of her life so I’ll probably not bother with her unless she is still breathing when the time limit is up. They are both indoor/secure garden cats anyway.
Ours are indoor cats – never allowed outside except on a leash on particularly sunny days, the question will be if vets start enforcing it too.
I’m not against microchipping, just seems pointless in our scenario so needless money spent.
Is it true that if your cat is found without a microchip it will be deported to Rwanda?
I moved here from South Africa a few months ago, and all our pets had to be microchipped to be allowed over (they were already anyway).
I honestly thought it was already compulsory because of this.
Right now a cat is claiming Bill Gates is onto them
I’ve had my cat for about 4 years now. Previously he was my husband’s grandmother’s and we took him went she went into a home but she’s since died. His microchip is still registered to my husband’s grandmother but we can’t figure out how to update it. The vet told us we have to contact the specific microchip company but we have no idea who they are and the vet doesn’t know either. Hopefully we can figure something out in the next year.
My cat has gone missing over a year. Chipped and neutered. All my details are up to date. Not heard a thing 🙁
Can we make the chips emit a gentle shock to stop them shitting in my garden…….
/s
Do i have to be chipped as I feel like a wild cat adopted me as their pet?
They need to make them NFC so people can scan it with their phones if they find a cat.
This might be controvertial to some, but I’d like to see a public area cat ban.
I don’t own a cat, but 3 of them use my home as a source of food and warmth, 2 more live round the back of the garage and eat my food.
All born wild, none are microchipped or would tolerate being taken to a vet, how are they going to fine me? They adopted me when my dog died, not the other way round.
>Ms Coffey said: “Cats and kittens are treasured members of the family, and it can be devastating for owners when they are lost or stolen.
>“Legislating for compulsory microchipping of cats will give comfort to families by increasing the likelihood that lost or stray pets can be reunited with their owners.”
So theyre fining people £500 for not getting it done because other wise the families would be devasted when the cats lost ??
most of the cats i see roaming my area dont even have a collar, if the owners dont give a shit about that would they about chips?
23 comments
>All owners must have their cat microchipped by June 10th 2024.
Any owner who is found not to have microchipped their cat will have 21 days to have one implanted, or they may face a fine of up to £500.
TIL this wasn’t already compulsory, but my biggest question not answered in the article is how will this be enforced?
If a stray is found without a microchip there’s no way of finding the owner so no way of fining them, you’re relying on luck that the owner happens to come across a “found cat” post on social media and then goes to collect the cat from the shelter knowing they risk a £500 fine if they’re reported by the shelter.
Additionally, I guess this could also be enforced by Vets, but then you’re asking an already drastically understaffed, horribly underpaid and highly stressed workforce to take on more work to help enforce this by reporting people? Vets are bound by their equivalent of doctor-patient confidentiality so I’m not sure how that one would even work unless a specific legal exception was made for that case.
I do not doubt this is a well intentioned law, but a law without enforcement provides little benefit.
I started having my cats chipped pretty soon after they became available here.
Mostly because I know too many people whose cats have disappeared, and who hope for months and months that the bloody thing will just wander back in at some point, when in reality their dear beast was either found dead and disposed of or shipped off to a cat shelter.
Please make it mandatory to have your dogs dna on file, and create a job where they go around testing shit left in the street.
It’s been compulsory to chip dogs since 2016, it’s about time this was brought into line.
My cat is 21 years old and doesn’t leave the house. I’m not chipping her now.
Chipping a cat is always a good idea. It’s horrible when they go missing and sometimes a chip is the only way to identify who owns it.
That’s great, but can they maybe focus their energy on the dog problem in this country too?
So tired of crap dog owners with completely untrained dangerous animals everywhere and even more tired of seeing another article every week about how some poor kid or animal has been killed by one of a handful of specific breeds.
It has been compulsory for breeders of dogs to microchip before the puppies are homed for a good few years now yet my Facebook page is full of posts from the stray kennels where found dogs either aren’t chipped or the chip isn’t registered. I’m sure the law helps a bit but a lot of dogs are still being let down.
My young cat was chipped by the breeder and I’ve registered him to my name and address so that is all good. My old girl is probably in the last stages of her life so I’ll probably not bother with her unless she is still breathing when the time limit is up. They are both indoor/secure garden cats anyway.
Ours are indoor cats – never allowed outside except on a leash on particularly sunny days, the question will be if vets start enforcing it too.
I’m not against microchipping, just seems pointless in our scenario so needless money spent.
Is it true that if your cat is found without a microchip it will be deported to Rwanda?
I moved here from South Africa a few months ago, and all our pets had to be microchipped to be allowed over (they were already anyway).
I honestly thought it was already compulsory because of this.
Right now a cat is claiming Bill Gates is onto them
I’ve had my cat for about 4 years now. Previously he was my husband’s grandmother’s and we took him went she went into a home but she’s since died. His microchip is still registered to my husband’s grandmother but we can’t figure out how to update it. The vet told us we have to contact the specific microchip company but we have no idea who they are and the vet doesn’t know either. Hopefully we can figure something out in the next year.
[well well well…](https://i.imgur.com/jLumFvn.jpg)
My cat has gone missing over a year. Chipped and neutered. All my details are up to date. Not heard a thing 🙁
Can we make the chips emit a gentle shock to stop them shitting in my garden…….
/s
Do i have to be chipped as I feel like a wild cat adopted me as their pet?
They need to make them NFC so people can scan it with their phones if they find a cat.
This might be controvertial to some, but I’d like to see a public area cat ban.
I don’t own a cat, but 3 of them use my home as a source of food and warmth, 2 more live round the back of the garage and eat my food.
All born wild, none are microchipped or would tolerate being taken to a vet, how are they going to fine me? They adopted me when my dog died, not the other way round.
>Ms Coffey said: “Cats and kittens are treasured members of the family, and it can be devastating for owners when they are lost or stolen.
>“Legislating for compulsory microchipping of cats will give comfort to families by increasing the likelihood that lost or stray pets can be reunited with their owners.”
So theyre fining people £500 for not getting it done because other wise the families would be devasted when the cats lost ??
most of the cats i see roaming my area dont even have a collar, if the owners dont give a shit about that would they about chips?