Did you know that from 10 June 2024 it is a legal requirement to have your cat microchipped by the time they are 20 weeks old?

In a similar way to dogs (which have to be microchipped by the time they are 8 weeks old), you can be fined up to £500 if they are not microchipped when they need to be.

Cats and kittens naturally roam, and it is heartbreaking for owners when they stray from home and don’t return home for a couple of days.  Inquisitive and friendly in equal measures, cats often ‘adopt’ new owners and can get fed from well-meaning neighbours.  Occasionally, people will assume that a cat is a genuine stray (a cat with no home or owner) and take them in as their own.  Some cats, such as pedigree or show cats, are also stolen.  By having your kitten or cat microchipped, it is easy for ownership to be established and for you to be reunited with your lost cat.

Kittens and cats don’t have much road sense, and sadly, a number of cats get injured or killed by vehicles.  When this occurs, microchipping makes it easier for a vet to identify the victim and contact the owner to advise what has happened.  If urgent medical treatment is required, a chip means that the vet administering the care can also contact the cat’s own vet to discuss current medication or illnesses.

Whether you’ve just got your kitten or adopted an older cat, we have always recommended that you have them microchipped, and now it is a legal requirement.

Microchips are safe and easy to implant, being no more painful than an injection.  Unlike collars and ID tags, microchips don’t come off nor put your cat at any risk of injury.  There is no recovery time and your cat is unlikely to even know it is there.

There are a number of government-approved databases where your cat’s microchip details should be registered.  At Peacock Vets, we will help you with this and can access all of the schemes listed:

• AnimalData
• Animal Microchips
• Animal Tracker
• Chipworks
• HomeAgain
• Identibase
• Lost Paws
• MicroChip Central
• My Animal Trace
• MyPet
• National Veterinary Data Service
• Pet Chip Register
• Pet Database
• Pet Identity UK
• Petlog
• PetScanner
• ProtectedPet
• SmartTrace
• Track Your Paws
• UK PETtrac MicroChip Database
• We Trace Pets

It is essential to keep your information up to date on the database to ensure you can be reunited with your cat should they wander or have an accident.  House moves, mobile telephone numbers and changes of owners or vets should all be updated.

To book your cat (or dog) in to be microchipped, please contact us.