Cat owners have 'days left' to avoid £500 fine due to law change
Everyone with a cat has just days left to avoid the fine after a change in the law
Cat owners have just days left to avoid a £500 fine thanks to a change in the law that takes effect a week today.
Thanks to a new law, all cat owners are being told they must microchip their pets by June 10.
After that date, any cat must be microchipped by a vet before they are 20 weeks old.
Owners also must keep a note of their cat’s microchip number going forwards.
Pet owners who fail to get this done in time will be given a final 21-day warning to sort it out and if they still don’t do it, they’ll be issued a £500 fine.
The RSPCA explains how it works: “A tiny microchip is quickly and simply inserted under your pet's skin. This gives your pet their own unique code.
The microchip can be scanned and matched to the owner's contact details, which are kept on a national database, such as PetLog.
Microchipping is only effective if you keep your details up-to-date. If you move house or change your telephone number you must make sure you tell the database you're registered with so that they have your up-to-date contact details.”
Once the chip is implanted it remains under the cat’s skin for life.
That way, if a lost cat is found away from home, the microchip can be scanned so the owner can be traced.
