Your Pets Daily - Cat microchipping

Cat owners urged to microchip pets ahead of new law to aid rehoming charities

Jessica Curtis — Fri, 05 Apr 2024 19:00:00 +0000

Families are being urged to microchip their cats to help ease the burden on rescue centres and rehoming charities.

From June 10, all domestic cats in England must be microchipped, and owners who fail to comply could face fines of up to £500. An estimated 2.3 million cats in the UK remain unchipped, which poses challenges for identification and reunion with their owners.

Pet charities could cut costs relating to feeding, sheltering, and rehoming if every cat had a microchip linking them to their owners.

Amelia Battersby, a vet at Pet Health Club — a preventative healthcare subscription that includes microchipping among its benefits — highlighted the numerous advantages of microchipping. She said: "Microchipping cats is not only about complying with the new law but also about ensuring the welfare of our pets.

"It offers a straightforward solution for pet owners to keep their cats safe and should also help reduce the number of lost cats ending up in rescue centres."

Amelia has helped develop a comprehensive resource for cat owners concerned about the new legislation, featuring Q&As, step-by-step guides, and more information, which you can visit by clicking here.

Microchipping is quick, relatively painless, and affordable, with many vet practices, including those offering Pet Health Club, providing the service for between £10 and £50. Around 160,000 cats end up in shelters and rescue centres across the UK every year, and it's hoped compulsory microchipping will help reduce this number.

"Losing a cat is a terrible experience for both pets and their owners," said Amelia, who is based at Holly House Vets in Leeds. "If microchipping improves the chances of just one lost cat being returned to its owner, then it's worth doing.

"This should also relieve the burden on animal charities and rescue centres, allowing them to focus resources on animals in real need. Microchipping your cat and ensuring your details on the database are up to date is a simple step every owner can take to ensure their cat can always find their way home."

There are around 11 million cats in the UK, which means one in four households has one. Research suggests that England is home to more than 1000 groups dedicated to the rescue and rehoming of pets.

Madison Rogers, head of advocacy, campaigns and government relations for Cats Protection, said around six in 10 cats that come into their care in England are not microchipped. She warned: "It can be impossible to tell if a cat is a stray or has, in fact, got a loving home. Though we do our very best to trace owners, including trawling lost and found registers and using social media, the chances of a successful reunite are much reduced in the absence of a microchip. This places a strain on our resources and means we may need to rehome cats that already have owners."

Madison continued: "We see first-hand why microchipping is so important for cats and the people who love them — whether it's reuniting a lost cat with their owner, identifying an injured cat or helping to ensure an owner can be informed in the sad event that their cat has been hit and killed by a car. We reunite 3000 lost cats with their owners each year — and can vastly improve on this in the future if every pet cat is microchipped."

Pet Health Club is committed to the welfare of pets and encourages all cat owners to microchip their cats before the new law takes effect. To join and get microchipping as part of your benefits, visit https://www.pet-advice.thepethealthclub.co.uk/

PDSA Weekly Vet Q&As - February 13, 2024

Your Pets Daily Editor — Tue, 13 Feb 2024 16:00:00 +0000

Dear PDSA Vet, my friend is going travelling and I am moving into hers to look after her dog Peanut while she's gone. Any tips? Ellie

Hi Ellie, Peanut won't understand where his owner has gone, so it's important to be understanding and stick to his daily routine, this will make life happier for both of you. Firstly, before your friend leaves, visit Peanut a few times, take him out for walks on your own, spending time with him, so you're not a stranger. Make sure your friend gives you all the details of Peanut's usual routine from what he eats, and what treats he likes, to what time he goes for walks and when his last toilet visit of the night is. Also what vet he's registered at, in case of illness or emergency. Peanut might miss his owner so it's a good idea to ask her to leave some familiar-smelling items like a blanket or old clothing. I'm sure in no time you'll be best of friends. Good luck!

Dear PDSA Vet, how can I reduce dog aggression? Kerry

Hi Kerry, if your dog is showing any changes in their behaviour, especially if they have started showing aggression suddenly, you should contact your vet immediately as this may be a sign of an underlying medical problem. Dog aggression can be a distressing and frightening problem for owners, but also for their dog as they are usually reacting through fear, frustration, or pain. Finding out the cause of your dog's aggression alongside your vet and a certified dog behaviourist is really important and will mean you are more likely to keep everyone safe and be able to give them the right treatment. If there are certain things that makes your dog act aggressively and you can avoid these before speaking to your vet, this can help prevent the problem from escalating further. It's a complicated issue and treatment will be individually tailored to your dog and your situation. Find out more here.

Dear PDSA Vet, I think my rabbit Tommy is grinding his teeth. Why is this? Connor

Hi Connor, there are two types of tooth grinding in rabbits. Quiet tooth grinding usually means rabbits are happy and relaxed, and it could mean they are wearing their front teeth down to keep them the right size and shape. However, loud or more noticeable tooth grinding usually indicates your rabbit might be unwell, in pain, or stressed. It's always best to contact your vet so they can assess him. It's important to act quickly if Tommy seems to be in pain as this could cause him to stop eating, which is very dangerous for rabbits. If he's showing other symptoms such as dropping food, sitting quietly, drooling or eating less than usual, take a note of this and remember to tell your vet. Find out more here.

Dear PDSA Vet, I know I need to get my cat Willow microchipped before June but I'm nervous it will hurt her. What exactly is it? Stevie

Hi Stevie, you're right, as of 10th June 2024, it will become law for all cat owners in England to have their cat microchipped by 20 weeks of age. A microchip will be implanted under Willow's skin between her shoulder blades using a needle. Like any injection, microchipping can cause a tiny amount of discomfort but, fortunately, it's a very quick procedure that takes just a few seconds. The good news is most cats barely notice being microchipped, but a tasty treat afterwards is likely to quickly distract her if she does become upset! Microchips are made out of non-reactive materials, so once it's in place - it shouldn't hurt or cause her any problems throughout her life. Find out more: pdsa.org.uk/microchipping-cats

For more information visit pdsa.org.uk

PDSA is the UK's largest vet charity providing a vital service for pets across the UK whose owners struggle to afford treatment costs for their sick and injured pets. For many vulnerable pets, PDSA is there to help when there is nowhere else for their owners to turn. Support from players of People's Postcode Lottery helps us reach even more pet owners with vital advice and information.

Battersea highlights importance of microchipping pets as charity reveals only 2% of stray cats are reunited with their owner

Katie Court — Sun, 03 Dec 2023 12:00:00 +0000

A new report on pet microchipping from animal welfare charity Battersea, shows a troubling decline in effective microchipping of both cats and dogs.

In 2022, only two per cent of stray cats brought to Battersea were able to be reunited with their owners through a microchip, and three out of five cats (59 per cent) brought to the centres were not microchipped at all, highlighting major problems in effective feline microchipping. Whether or not an animal has a microchip with up-to-date details has a direct impact on the charity’s ability to reunite pets with their owners.

Unfortunately, this was the reality for one-year-old cat, Kina. Kina was found in good health but roaming in a park alone by a passerby and brought to the charity’s London centre. From her very friendly nature and beautiful, shiny coat, staff strongly suspected she had been someone’s pet, but as she was found with no microchip, staff were unable to trace where she had come from. Sadly, no previous owners were found, but the rehoming staff were soon able to find Kina a new loving home.

From 10 June 2024, a new law will require all cat owners in England to have their cats microchipped. Cat owners found not to have microchipped their cat by this date will have 21 days to have one implanted or may face a fine of up to £500.

Rachel Saunders, Cattery Manager at Battersea, said: "When a microchipped cat is brought to us as a stray, we can usually orchestrate a joyful reunion, sparing heartache for owners, but for most stray cats we take in, there is no chip at all, leaving us unable to trace where they may have come from.”

Battersea further warns cat and dog owners that failure to keep their contact details updated on microchipping databases leaves staff unable to notify the owners when a pet is brought into their care.

Rachel added: “With greater responsibility from cat and dog owners to update microchip information, we can reunite many more pets and spare countless families from needless suffering.”

While cat microchipping rates are troublingly low, dogs are also being failed by inaccurate data and absent microchips.

Local authorities have reported a nine percentage points increase from 2021 to 2023 in stray dogs without a microchip to Battersea, with 72 per cent of microchipped dogs having inaccurate owner data — up significantly from 63 per cent in 2021. This is despite a legal requirement for all pet dogs to have a microchip with correct owner information since 2016.

Thankfully functional microchips with updated data have given the charity the means to orchestrate uplifting reunions for a number of pets and their families.

Handsome two-year-old Alfie was brought into Battersea’s London centre as a stray cat. After a stranger found him roaming about wearing a collar with an AirTag and assumed he was lost. Luckily Alfie was microchipped, and when Battersea called his owner, it was quickly learned that while he had been out since the early morning, he was not missing at all. Alfie's relieved owner rushed to collect him within the hour, and thanks to his up-to-date microchip, he and his family were happily reunited right away.

As Battersea marks 140 years of first taking in cats, providing them with the love, fuss and expert care they deserve, the charity shines a light on stories like Alfie’s, Pebble’s and Kina’s - celebrating the cats in care while underscoring the urgent need for responsible microchipping. Battersea scans every animal for a microchip when they first arrive and will make sure every dog and cat is microchipped before going on to their new homes.

For further advice on pet microchipping, visit the Battersea website here: https://www.battersea.org.uk/. You can also find out more in Battersea’s latest Microchipping report here.

Your Pets Daily - Cat microchipping

Cat owners urged to microchip pets ahead of new law to aid rehoming charities

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PDSA Weekly Vet Q&As - February 13, 2024

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Battersea highlights importance of microchipping pets as charity reveals only 2% of stray cats are reunited with their owner

A new report on pet microchipping from animal welfare charity Battersea, shows a troubling decline in effective microchipping of both cats and dogs.

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