New law means cat owners in Milton Keynes will face £500 fine if they don't get their pet microchipped

A leading city vet practice is urging all cat owners to take note of a new law coming into effect this June.

It makes microchipping compulsory for cats and the aim is to reunite stray or lost cats with their owners more easily.

Any owner found not to have their cat microchipped will be given a period of 21 days to allow for one to be implanted. But if they fail to act, they could face a fine of up to £500.

Milton Keynes Veterinary Group is calling for all cat owners to understand the changes and ensure their pet complies with the new legislation.

As part of the new law, a microchip will need to be implanted before a kitten reaches the age of 20 weeks, with the contact details being stored and kept up to date within a pet microchipping database.

A microchip is a small implant which is inserted under the cat’s skin, containing a unique identification number

Caroline Lloyd, Head Veterinary Nurse at Milton Keynes Veterinary Group, said: “The procedure of microchipping a cat is no more painful than an injection but is such a valuable resource to assist in reuniting pets with their owners.”

In England, there are around nine million cats, of which around 2.3 million are unchipped, making it extremely difficult for veterinary practices and animal authorities to reunite these stray cats when there is no information to help find their owners.

Caroline said: “Don’t delay - book your cat in for their microchip now! If your cat is already microchipped but you are unsure if the details are up to date, we would urge cat owners to double check the information linked to your pet’s unique identification number is still current.

More information on the upcoming change can be sourced from the gov.uk website.

The British Veterinary Association says only just over half the cats vets see nationally are microchipped. But they say the government should first address the issues currently preventing the effective implementation of compulsory dog microchipping regulations across the UK.

And the new law should also should recognise that age of microchipping should be determined by a veterinary surgeon’s professional judgement, based on the individual kitten's size, they say.