Cat owners across the UK are being warned to act now or face a hefty fine when a new rule is rolled out on June 10.
In three months it will become illegal for pet owners not to have their feline friends microchipped and owners found without one will have just 21 days to get one implanted before a £500 fine is issued.
Research suggests that some 25 percent of cats living in Britain do not have a microchip – making up three million animals.
Cats Matter, a feline road safety focus group, spokesman said it was crucial cat lovers got their pets chipped for their safety.
He said: “Microchipping is part of responsible pet parenting and we, not only support the financial burden for those unwilling to follow the new rules, we actively pushed for strict measures when working on this legislation in both its bill form and as stakeholders throughout its consultation phases.
“The Government call for evidence and consultation on the issue received 99 percent approval rate from respondents who expressed support for the measure, so we are assured we are not alone.”
The group has been pushing for the law change since December 2018 and welcomed the new fine and laws.
The spokesman added: “We have done the hard part by getting the law changed.
“Now it is down to cat owners to make sure this is the success we know it can and will be. The process of microchipping involves the quick, simply and painless insertion of a chip, generally around the size of a grain of rice, under the skin.
“The microchip has a unique serial number that the keeper needs to register on a database. When a cat is found, the microchip can be read with a scanner and the registered keeper identified on a database so the pet can quickly be reunited with them.”
But the group said it was still concerned that not enough animals were being scanned due to the current systems in place.
The spokesman said: “We are so pleased the Government have brought in this law after years of campaigning, but we remain concerned about the scanning system that compliments it.
“We have remained clear to DEFRA that, for microchipping to work in practice, chips must be scanned. We continue to push the Government to introduce effective scanning measures so as many cats as possible can go home to their families where they belong.”
If a cat is not microchipped owners run the risk it will be picked up as a stray and end up clogging the rescue system, which is already on its knees due to the current cost of living crisis.
Microchipping also ensures owners are notified should an accident happen to their cat.
