Companion Animals

Companion Animal Welfare and Feline Microchipping and Registration

Microchipping and registration are essential cat welfare tools enabling reunion with owners and providing epidemiological data on cat populations.

Key Facts

Mandatory cat microchipping was introduced in England in June 2024 for cats over 20 weeks
Only 55% of UK cats were microchipped before mandatory legislation
Registered microchips enable reunion of lost cats in an estimated 50% more cases
Database fragmentation between microchip registry companies complicates reunification
A universal lookup service launched in the UK in 2024 improves cross-database searching

Welfare Considerations

Microchipping and registration prevents welfare suffering from lost cats unable to be reunited with owners. Compliance and accurate registration are owner responsibilities.

What You Can Do

Microchip and register your cat as required by law
Ensure your contact details are up to date in the microchip registry
Advocate for a universal microchip database to simplify reunification