iCatCare has questions about mandatory microchip plan

International Cat Care (iCatCare) says the Government must address a number of considerations before legislating on the compulsory microchipping of cats in England.

Defra has started an eight-week consultation on plans that could see legislation brought in this year for the mandatory microchipping of cats. It estimated a quarter of all cats in the UK – 2.6 million – are not microchipped.

iCatCare has always encouraged cat owners to microchip their animals to aid reunion and supports introduction of Gismo’s Legacy, which would make it mandatory to scan for microchips of all cats and dogs found dead at the roadside.

Not straightforward

However, iCatCare said it shared some of the concerns already raised by the BVA over policing and implementation, and had queries about the age of cats receiving chips, implications for unowned cats and impact on cat vet visits.

In a statement to Vet Times, iCatCare said: “The issue of mandatory microchipping for cats is not straightforward. There are many considerations the Government should address to ensure this initiative will be effective in practice and prevent harm from unintended consequences.

“There are multiple national databases that may not collaborate – there needs to be a clear, simple and effective service for owners if this is to be made mandatory.”

‘Primary role’

iCatCare continued: “iCatCare’s veterinary division, the International Society of Feline Medicine, works with more than 7,000 veterinary members worldwide and agrees with the BVA that vets’ primary role ‘must be in providing veterinary care for animals, and they should not be put in the position of policing the law or untangling ownership disputes, which could result in people not seeking veterinary treatment’.

“Additionally, iCatCare knows there are many barriers to taking cats to the vet and that cats are not taken as often as dogs. Encouraging less responsible owners to access preventive or early treatment for their cats could be more difficult if these owners consider that the vet may check and enforce whether the cat is microchipped.”

Unowned cats

iCatCare said the the suggested legislation only covered pet cats – namely cats that are owned. It continued: “Unlike dogs in the UK, cats may also live alongside society as feral, street or community cats, and many of these are supported by voluntary organisations or individuals who feed and neuter them, but they do not live as pets (and are not suitable to live as pets).

“Many individuals who care for these groups of cats will not want to take on the legal implications that come with ownership linked to microchipping.

“iCatCare suggests these cats are not chipped, but have the left ear tipped to show they have been neutered and that the UK works towards all cats being either chipped or ear tipped, according to their lifestyle, as this could improve population management.”

Timing

On the subject of timing, iCatCare said: “Under dog microchipping legislation, puppies have to be chipped by eight weeks of age. Most dogs in the UK are sold by pedigree breeders or come from rehoming organisations that have processes in place to chip puppies.

“In the UK, up to 90% of cats may be of non-pedigree origin and many may be as a result of accidental mating. These unintentional breeders may be unlikely to microchip kittens before they are sold/homed after eight weeks of age.

“Because most eight-week-old kittens are smaller than puppies, their new owners may also consider them too small to be microchipped and would rather wait until they are neutered (recommended at four months old) to undertake the procedure. The procedure would be paid for by new owners rather than the original breeders, and this may help to increase uptake.”

Full details of Defra’s consultation are online.