Charity calls for Welsh cat microchipping law
Microchipping cats will become mandatory in England next year.
Animal welfare charity Cats Protection is urging members of the public in Wales to email their MSs in support of compulsory microchipping for cats.
Although microchipping can help reunite owners with missing cats, last year’s Cats and Their Stats (CATS) report by Cats Protection revealed that 28 per cent of cats in Wales are not microchipped.
In England, it will be mandatory for pet cats to be microchipped from 10 June 2024, although the new law will not apply to Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. It is already a legal requirement across the UK for dogs to be microchipped.
Since the UK Government announced the rule change for England, the Welsh government has been under pressure to act, with RSPCA Cymru also calling on members of the Senedd to pass similar legislation.
The Welsh government is considering extending compulsory microchipping to cats as part of its Animal Welfare Plan, but no commitment to changing the law has been made.
Cats Protection’s advocacy and government relations officer for Wales Daryl Gordon said: “Microchipping is already compulsory for dogs throughout the whole of the UK, and from next year it will also be compulsory for cats in England. This is clearly a very important pet welfare issue, yet there are still no plans for this to be introduced for cats in Wales.
“As a nation of pet lovers, we don’t want to see Wales left behind when it comes to cat welfare. We’re urging the Welsh Government to get behind this issue so that cats in Wales receive the same protection that will soon be given to cats over in England.
“Compulsory microchipping of pet cats would ensure more cats can be reunited with their owners if they are lost or missing. It also helps to identify cats which have sadly died in road accidents and helps to reduce the pressure on animal charities which may find it impossible to trace the owner of an un-microchipped stray or lost cat, despite their best efforts.”
Cats Protection have made an email template available online for anyone wishing to write to their MSs in support of mandatory cat microchipping.
Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.
