The Government has announced that microchipping will be a legal requirement for cats in England from 10 June 2024. The new rules mean cats must be implanted with a microchip before they reach the age of 20 weeks and their contact details stored and kept up to date on a pet microchipping database. Owners found not to have microchipped their cat will have 21 days to have one implanted, or may face a fine of up to £500.
We are urging all cat owners to not leave microchipping their cat, or checking their pet is chipped and their details are up to date, to the last minute. This is vital for helping to keep your pet safe.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) estimates that as many as 2.8 million cats in the UK are unchipped, meaning that it would be difficult to reunite them with their owner if they get lost or stolen.
When does the legislation come into force?
The new rules will come into force from 10 June 2024.
What do I need to do?
In order to make sure you are ready for compulsory cat microchipping, you need to follow these steps:
- Make sure your cat is microchipped. You will either have documentation, or an account with a relevant microchip database, or you can ask your vet to check whether your cat is chipped. If you don’t know which database your cat is microchipped with, but you have your pet’s microchip number, you can use the microchip lookup tool.
- If your cat is microchipped with Petlog, and you haven’t created an online account with us, follow the steps to create your free online account here
- Once your online account is created, log in and check your details are up to date, including your email address and phone number
You can also upgrade to Petlog Premium for a one-time cost, so you can update your details as many times as you would like throughout your pet’s life
Why should I microchip my cat?
Microchipping your pet and registering them on a database, alongside your address and phone number, is such a simple step but can be a life-saver for your pet, and gives peace of mind during what is an extremely stressful and worrying time.
We urge cat owners to not leave microchipping until the last minute but take action now, to ensure that their cat is kept safe and you are prepared for when the law changes.
A microchip is only as effective as the contact details on the database that the chip is registered with, so this is also a timely reminder to all pet owners to ensure that their contact details are up-to-date, in order to help ensure swift reunification.
How can I get my cat microchipped?
If your pet is not currently microchipped you can get this done by your vet or a private implanter, who will also register your pet’s microchip on a microchipping database, such as Petlog. The database you pet is registered on will depend on the microchip your implanter uses.
If you’d like to be registered on Petlog, you may wish to double check with your vet or implanter before having your pet chipped. Alternatively, after your pet’s chip has been implanted, you can request for the chip and your details to be registered with Petlog. We urge owners to always check that the details originally inputted into the microchipping database – which will be used to help reunite you with your pet in the event of it going missing – are correct and accurate. To find out more about us and our benefits please see the about us page.
How much will it cost to microchip my cat?
You can expect to pay anywhere between £15-£30 to have your cat microchipped and details registered on a database by a vet or implanter.
There can be costs to update your details, if you move or get a new phone number. With Petlog, on our basic package, change of address costs £10. For those on our Petlog Premium service this is free anytime you need to update your details. Petlog Premium is a one-off cost of £19.95 for the lifetime of your pet, and offers other benefits too.