Our furry felines are our favourites and there’s good news for cat owners – from 13th March 2023 the Government has made it microchipping cats mandatory in the UK in a bid to help protect the animals better. Cats are one of Britain’s most popular pets – in fact, there are over nine million cats in England alone, with an estimated 2.3-million unchipped, making them vulnerable to theft or loss.
Microchipping Cats is Now a Legal Requirement
In the same way that dog microchipping was introduced in 2016, cat owners will need to implant their pets before the age of 20 weeks. This will make it much easier for lost or stray pet cats to be returned to their owners.
Cat Microchip Facts
The microchip is a small device, about as big as a grain of rice. It is implanted under the skin of your cat, between the shoulder blades.
Microchipping is safe and painless procedure when done by a qualified professional, such as a vet or animal welfare worker. The procedure only takes a few minutes and can be done during a visit to the vet, or sometimes at a pet store or a specialist clinic.
The cost of microchipping varies, but typically it ranges from around £10 to £30 per pet.
What happens once your cat is microchipped?
After your pet is microchipped, the unique identifier on the chip can be read by a special scanner. It is linked to your address and contact details, so it is a simple and effective way to identify your pet if they become lost or stolen.
What about other pets?
Of course, cats aren’t the only pets that can be microchipped. Dogs in the UK over eight weeks of age must be microchipped, and the owner’s details must be registered on an approved database.
Similarly, horses, ponies and donkeys in the UK must be microchipped by law. Horses have a ‘horse passport’ with a full history of the animal: stabling, vaccinations, medical history and so on.
Heavenly Pastures Pet Cremations
Heavenly Pastures pet cremations are here to help you with horse cremations and pet cremations in the North West – covering the counties of Lancashire, Merseyside and Cheshire. We give you the space to grieve as our end-of-life service takes care of the practical arrangements, so you have the space to grieve.
We offer cremation services for most small animals, including:
