The Government has recently announced that cats MUST be microchipped by law very soon! If the law follows the same structure as that for dogs - failure to get your cat microchipped could result in penalties of up to £500.
Wings and Paws Rescue are urging all cat owners to not leave microchipping their pet (or checking details already held) until it becomes law, but to get this done asap. This is so important to keep your pet safe.
Why are they doing this?
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, known as DEFRA estimates that as many as 2.8 million cats in the UK are unchipped. If your unchipped cat goes missing, is stolen or is involved in an accident, it would be very difficult for a vet or animal rescue to reunite them with you as they have no way of telling who the owner is.
What should you do?
Make sure your cat is microchipped - any vet will be able to do this for you for a very small cost
Register the cats new microchip online using the details provided by the vet
Once your microchip account is created, check your details are up to date
Update your details whenever you move home, change your phone number or transfer ownership of the cat
WHY should I microchip my pet?
Microchipping your cat or pet and registering your address and phone number is such a simple thing to do - but it can be a life-saver for your pet should they go missing, it gives peace of mind during what is always an extremely stressful and worrying time. Microchipping your dog is already a legal requirement, by including cats in this legislation hundreds of lives could be saved. A microchip is only as effective as the contact details on the database!
If you have already made the sensible decision to microchip your pet, please ensure the contact details that are held for you are up to date. Out of date information is just as bad as not having the chip in the first place.
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