We think it’s really important to microchip pets.
There is nothing worse than the worry when a pet goes missing, but every year there is a happy ending for thousands of owners thanks to microchips.
Dogs already have to be microchipped and a new law requiring owners to microchip cats is due to come into force sometime this year.
Here at Paragon we support this move, as it will help to reunite many more lost pets with their owners and promotes responsible pet ownership.
When your pet is microchipped, a small chip with a unique serial number is inserted under the skin. The number can be read by a scanner and checked against a microchip database so that lost pets can be reunited with their owner.
The chip is the size of a grain of rice and is inserted under the skin via injection. This does cause a bit of discomfort sometimes but is over almost instantaneously and is a safe procedure.
If your cat is coming in to be neutered or for an anaesthetic for another reason, we would recommend getting the chip inserted at the same time to minimise the discomfort.
The Government carried out a consultation which found that 99 per cent of people support compulsory microchipping for cats.
Under the new regulations all owners will have to make sure their cat is microchipped before the age of 20 weeks, and their contact details are stored and kept up to date on a pet microchipping database.
Any owner found not to have microchipped their cat will have 21 days to get it done, or they may face a fine of up to £500.
The Government says there are more than 10.8 million pet cats in the UK and as many as 2.8 million are unchipped.
Last year the Government worked with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons to introduce new guidance which requires vets to scan the microchips of healthy dogs. It is also reviewing the regulations on dog microchipping and the related database systems.
The new cat microchipping rules will be implemented once this review has been done, which is expected to be some time this year.
Recently at Paragon we were able to reunite a cat with his very relieved owner. He was handed in to us as a stray and when we scanned him, we found he was microchipped, so we were able to contact her. She was delighted to come and get him after five months being lost.