VETS are urging pet owners to be aware of a change in legislation which is making it compulsory for cats to be microchipped.
Current cat owners have until June next year to microchip their pets in order to comply with the new law. As part of the law change, kittens must also be chipped before the age of 20 weeks.
The law also requires owners whose cats are already microchipped to ensure their details are up to date.
The team at Avonvale Veterinary Centres in Warwickshire have welcomed the move and are urging owners, or those looking to take on a cat in the next 12 months, to make sure they comply with the new rules.
Andrea Davies, from Linnaeus-owned Avonvale, said: “We know how traumatic it is for owners when their cat is lost or stolen which is why we’re fully supporting the introduction of compulsory microchipping.
“It is the most effective way of identifying lost pets, no matter how far they’ve wandered or been taken, no matter how long they’ve been missing.
“We have seen first-hand how successful dog microchipping has been, with pets who are microchipped twice as likely to be reunited with their owners.
“That’s why we are confident extending microchipping to cats will be a similar success story.”
It is estimated there are 9million cats in the UK but around 2.3 million of them are not microchipped = something the new laws aim to change.
Andrea said microchipping was a safe and swift procedure which was easy to update for issues like a change of address or phone number.
She added: “Each microchip has a unique serial number that is then registered on a national database alongside the owner’s details.
“When a stray animal is found, the microchip is scanned to identify the registered keeper and enable the pet to be quickly be returned to them.
“Obviously, it’s vitally important that owners always update their contact details when there’s a change in circumstances.”
Visit www.avonvets.co.uk for further details.
