RSCPA urges cat owners to act now on compulsory microchipping 

Pet owners are being urged to book microchipping appointments for their cats now, before legal requirements come into force next year.

The plea has been issued by the RSPCA after new figures revealed nearly 10,000 cats have already been reported to them as abandoned this year alone.

Under plans published in the spring, it will be a legal requirement for all pet cats aged 20 weeks and older in England to be microchipped from 10 June 2024.

Owners will also be required to keep current contact details on a microchip database and the charity has spoken out now with six months left until the law comes into force.

‘Book now’

Alice Potter, a cat welfare expert for the charity, said: “We understand how busy our lives can be and how busy vets can be, so we urge owners with cats over 20 weeks of age to book their appointments now.

“Not only will microchipping your cat mean that, if they become lost, stolen or injured, they are much more likely to be reunited with you, but we also hope that mandatory microchipping will help to tackle important cat welfare issues such as abandonments.”

The charity has also highlighted the story of six-year-old Simba who was returned to his owners in North London last month following a microchip check, having been missing for more than a year.

Latest figures

Animal rescue officer Nicola Thomas said: “It was so lovely to bring Simba back home after all that time away.

“He’s been fed by someone living nearby since April and was assumed to be a stray. Thankfully, he is healthy and seems very happy to be home in comfort.”

A survey conducted for the RSPCA indicated 75% of adults supported mandatory microchipping as a way to reduce the number of stray and abandoned cats, a figure that rises to 83% among cat owners.

Its latest figures also showed a total of 9,855 cat abandonments have been reported up to the end of November this year – up from around 8,500 in 2022.