Since 6 April 2016, all dogs in England, Scotland and Wales must be microchipped.
Since that date, owners of dogs and puppies over the age of eight weeks must also have registered their pet’s microchip details on one of the authorised databases. These databases are run by private companies, and not by the government or the council.
ID chipping is a quick and simple procedure, a tiny microchip (the size of a grain of rice) is inserted under your pet’s skin.
This law does not cover other pets, such as cats, but microchipping is strongly recommended.
If you have an indoor cat, then microchipping might not be too high on your list of priorities. But if you regularly let your cat out, then microchipping can bring peace of mind - it’s safe, permanent, and almost always effective at reuniting lost cats with their owners.
There are other benefits to microchipping your cats, too. For example, if your cat’s microchipped, you can install a microchip cat flap in your home. This clever device is capable of scanning cats’ microchips as they approach, and they can be programmed to only open for your cats.
If you have any questions about microchipping cats, or about any other aspect of cat ownership, feel free to get in touch.
