A little known change to the law could see thousands of cat owners face a hefty fine of £500 if they don't do one simple thing with their pets.
Rule changes set to come into force in just a week will make it compulsory for all cats in the UK to be microchipped and registered onto a database by the time they are 20 weeks old. Any cat owners who do not comply with this by the deadline of June 10 will be breaking the law and could face paying £500 and having their cat temporarily taken away.
Recent figures show that as many as 25 per cent of cats in the country do not have microchips - which amounts to around three million felines. Once this new legislation comes into effect, cat owners found to not be abiding by the rules will have just 21 days to microchip and register their cats at the vets. If they do not, they could be forced to pay £500. This new legislation, will also give local authorities the power to seize and remove cats from owners and microchip them before returning them.
The new law will mean it is compulsory for cat owners to have their pets microchipped or risk hefty fines (Getty Images/Caiaimage)Designed to make it easier for missing cats to be reunited with their owners and to reduce the number of household cats killed in road traffic collisions each year, charity Cats Matter campaigned for the new rules and hope cat owners across the UK will comply and help it "be the success [they] know it can and will be".
For veterinary practices, animal welfare organisations and local councils, it can be incredibly difficult to reunite devastated owners with their injured or stolen cats if they have never been microchipped as it means their is no link between them. The charity described the microchipping process as "inexpensive" and "fairly simple and quick", but most importantly, "can save owners the heartache of never getting their cats back."
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The organisation said: "Sadly, we see it all the time where road accident victims end up being euthanised with simple cuts and bruises, simply because no owner could be located via a microchip. When we say it could be a matter of life and death, we are not joking and as the UKs only feline road traffic accident focus group, we sadly see it all the time and are powerless to stop it - but owners can stop it happening to their cat simply by microchipping them and keeping registered details up to date."
"When a cat is found roadside and taken to a vets, the microchip can be read with a scanner and the registered keeper identified on a database so the pet can quickly be reunited with them. When they are not microchipped, it is at the vets discretion what they do but they are only obliged by law to administer pain relief, which could mean euthanasia."
"We would urge owners to comply with the new law because it is working for them and their cats, not against."
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