21 Jul 2020
A potential law change that could make microchipping compulsory in feline pets could provide valuable opportunities for veterinary practices. And with almost a third of the nation’s domestic cats not having a microchip, practices should be ready to make the most of those opportunities...
James Beaumont
Job Title
Image © LIGHTFIELD STUDIOS / Adobe Stock
The Government is consulting on the introduction of compulsory microchipping for cats and may decide to introduce legislation at some stage in the future.
If it does become a legal requirement, it will follow on from compulsory microchipping for dogs, which was introduced in April 2016.
As a result, 92% of the UK’s 9.9 million owned dogs are now reported to be microchipped¹.
With only 71% of the UK’s 10.9 million owned cats microchipped² and Cats Protection reporting that 8 of 10 stray cats taken in by its adoption centres in England are not microchipped³, assuming the legislation does pass into law, the opportunity for practices to encourage owners through their doors for microchipping will clearly exist.
Given many may have got used to staying away as a result of COVID-19 restrictions, the chance to forge – or reforge – relationships with cat owners is particularly welcome and one to be taken seriously.
As part of your preparation, review your current microchip supplier and database company. The market has seen innovations in recent years, so make sure the companies you’re working with are still giving you and your clients an optimum service.
For instance, is the microchip supplier you are using ISO compliant? Does it offer a range of chips for all sizes of animal? Does it work with a database company offering a contact centre with staff easily available at the end of the phone? Your clients will need this should their pet go missing. Does the database offer the chip checking tool required by Defra to indicate on which database a microchip is held?
A number of new database companies have emerged over the past few years, and policing to ensure adherence to Defra regulations is not carried out. In some cases, this has led to pets being registered on multiple databases, making it more difficult for owners to track down their lost animal and reducing confidence in microchipping overall.
My company, Identibase, holds the details of more than 5.4 million pets and offers a 24/7 365, UK-based contact centre to support clients.
When the new legislation does arrive, the experience with dogs suggests that raising awareness among cat owners, and educating them on the benefits of microchipping, will be the first – and a continuing – challenge. A reported 16% of dog owners still don’t realise it’s a legal requirement to microchip their dog – despite it being compulsory for more than four years⁴.
Your practice protocols can support owner education and compliance, of course. Do you routinely scan pets visiting the practice and are chip numbers recorded on your practice management system? This is important to confirm that the microchip is working and to help avoid multiple microchipping. It can also confirm that your client is the registered keeper and that his or her pet’s details are up to date.
Contact clients with cats that are not microchipped to let them know that legislation may be on the way. It’s worth highlighting the decrease in numbers of stray dogs, according to Dogs Trust, to demonstrate the value of microchipping.
Offer them a consultation or appointment. If and when a date for legislation to become law is announced, you could even offer them a promotion to get it done ahead of the “rush”. Don’t forget to remind them of the need to update their pet’s details should they move. This is a legal requirement in dogs and may also feature in any feline microchip legislation.
Your website, your client e-newsletter and your social channels are perfect ways to promote the benefits of microchipping (not just for cats, but for other companion animals, too) and to flag that it may soon be compulsory.
Short, news-led videos or articles to explain the process are quick and easy to do. Should your practice reunite any animal with its owner because of its chip, make sure you get a picture (and the owner’s consent) and tell the story on your social channels. This is microchipping gold.
Don’t forget to reinforce the importance of keeping contact details up to date. The BVA reported in 2017 that the contact details on 44% of stray dogs seen by its members were incorrect⁵. This means too many lost dogs – and cats – are still not finding their way home, despite being chipped.
You can reach beyond your client base through experimenting with Facebook adverts targeting cat owners in your area and could also link up with a local cat charity to offer a “chip and snip” promotion.
Lots of support is available from manufacturers to help you do this. Animalcare’s Practice Assistance Centre website (www.the-pac.co.uk) is one example. You could even contact your local radio station or newspaper to let it know about the legislation and offer an interview or an article – again, perhaps with a joint promotion, such as a free health check.
Your microchip and database supplier should be able to offer you engaging promotional content – posters, flyers and other information you can use – both in practice when your waiting rooms are back in use and potentially in other locations, such as community notice boards or schools. Make sure you take advantage of all this content and refresh it regularly to stimulate interest.
Reminding owners of the microchipping message – whether for dogs, cats, rabbits or other animals – is not a one off. They will forget and you need to keep going.
At the time of writing, running client events in practice may still be difficult because of COVID-19 restrictions, but, once more normal times return, holding events such as talks or participating enthusiastically in wider initiatives, such as National Microchipping Month, will yield good results.
Offering talks in the wider community – for instance, to schools and community groups – is also a fantastic way of spreading the word – not just about microchipping, but also about responsible pet ownership in general.
Microchipping is, of course, just one facet of responsible pet ownership and, while chipping in itself doesn’t offer huge financial reward to practices, it is the opportunity it creates to have a wider conversation with clients about how they are caring for their pets that makes it so valuable.
If you can encourage an owner with a cat without a microchip to come into the practice for a free health check, you can then have a discussion about vaccination, nutrition, parasite control and a pet health plan for his or her cat, and any other pets he or she may have back home.
Get this discussion right and there is a good chance the client will leave the practice not just with a microchipped cat, but as a bonded client who will spend much more with you in the months and years ahead.
