New law says cats must be microchipped in England

Losing a pet can be really upsetting, but a new law hopes to help owners reunite with lost furry friends.

All cats in England must be microchipped by the time they are 20 weeks old.

The new law took effect on June 10 and pet owners that break the rules will have 21 days to have one implanted in their cat, or could face a fine of up to £500.

The rules only apply to those in England, and isn't a legal requirement yet in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

What is a microchip?

When a lost pet is found, the microchip can be scanned to find the owner's details

A microchip is a small device, about the size of a grain of rice, that is implanted into the pet typically between their shoulder blades. The procedure is usually painless for the animal.

When a lost pet is found, the microchip can be scanned and it will bring up the owner's details from a database.

The vet or agency who have found the lost pet will then be able to contact the owners and organise for it to be returned or collected.

All dogs in England, Scotland and Wales have had to be microchipped by law since 2016 unless a vet says they can't have one for health reasons.

Why do cats need to be microchipped?

Data from a Cats Protection survey suggested about 1.9 million cats in England were not microchipped.

Research from the charity also showed cat owners who hadn't microchipped their pet didn't think they needed to because their pet either doesn't go out or doesn't go far.

The animal charity said the new rules would improve cat welfare, help track down missing pets and could stop some owners from abandoning their animals.

CBBC vet Rory Cowlan said: “The thought of a pet going missing and never being able to find them is a pet owner's nightmare, which is why microchipping is so important."

Where else will this law be introduced?

It's not yet a legal requirement to get cats microchipped in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

More than a quarter of pet cats in Northern Ireland aren't microchipped and animal charities want Northern Ireland to have a similar law to the one in England.

In Scotland, a petition has been calling on the Scottish Government to introduce compulsory microchipping.

Welsh ministers are also facing similar calls.