The UK government is ‘seeking evidence to understand the consequences of making microchipping of cats mandatory in England’.
The UK government is not looking at introducing legislation at the moment but it seems likely that they would in the not to distant future if the evidence stacks up in favour of mandatory microchipping. And I think it will. The benefits of cat microchipping outweigh the rare instances of microchips causing health issues in cats. Microchips are considered unsafe for humans!
Incidentally, the charity Cats Protection have a petition which you get to by clicking on this link. The link may break in due course.
You can email the government with your views: AnimalWelfare.Consultations@defra.gov.uk . See the government page by clicking on this link.
Strangely dogs must be microchipped in the UK but not cats. This difference may be because law enforcement needs to identify dog owners in situations where the dog has caused harm to others.
The RSPCA say on the Express.co.uk website that 90% of cats in the UK are not microchipped.
In 2014 there were 70,000 missing pets, presumed cats and dogs in the UK (Petlog). The majority are cats because dog are reunited with their owners more easily because of compulsory dog microchipping. For example, in the southeast of England more than 10,000 cats and 2,000 dogs were missing in 2014.
The government consultation closes on 4th Jan 2020, so just a few days left. This is your chance to influence the UK government on an import issue concerning cat welfare.
SOME MORE ON CAT MICROCHIPPING:
