Cat and dog rules now in force in England as owner asks ‘will I be fined if I go to the vet?’

Rules in England are now in force meaning all cats and dogs must have a microchip fitted - with owners facing £500 fine if their pet is recovered and found not to have the technology . It has caused some confusion and worry among pet owners - especially those who have so far failed to take action after the rules came into force in 2024. Under the laws all dogs in the UK must be microchipped and registered by the time they’re 8 weeks old. If you live in England your cat must be microchipped and registered by the time they’re 20 weeks old. Some pet owners - especially those with ‘house cats’ have wondered if it applies to them - and if it does if they could be fined if they go to the vet without their pet being chipped two years in. In a Reddit thread this month one owner said: “Hi all. My parents never took our cats to be microchipped when the new law came in (god knows why, although they are indoor cats and don’t go outside?). If I need to take one of my cats to the vets, will they fine me £500 when I asked for one of them to be looked at? “My female cat has stopped taking interest in eating and has lost some weight lately , she seems to only want to eat liquid food like lick-e-lix and cat soup. I was going to take her maybe and see if they could prescribe her calorie dense liquid cat food? But will they then fine me £500 for the fact my parents never took her to be chipped?” Other users were happy to set the person straight. One said: “Vets don’t fine you. Id ask for a chip to be placed in the consult so you’re covered.” Another added: “Vets don’t fine people. They want you to bring the cat in for care, not put people off. Just ask them to get a microchip done at the same time. They’ll be due for vaccine boosters too.” Another one said: “Vets won’t fine you but I’d recommend getting it done, there’s no reason not to. All 11 of my cats are indoors but they’re all microchipped just on the off chance they’ll somehow get outside, but if your cat ever did unfortunately go missing not only would it be harder to get her back it would also mean you end up with a fine. Your vets will likely just advise you have it done, it’s like £30 max I don’t understand why you’d be against doing it.” Croft’ s Vet Surgery said: “If you are a cat owner in England, you will be legally required to ensure your cat is microchipped by Saturday 10 June 2024, if it is older than 20 weeks old, following the Government’s announcements on Monday 13 March 2023. Failure to comply may result in a fine of up to £500. If your cat is already microchipped, it is also part of the law that your details associated with the chip must be up to date. “Microchipping your cat is important because it increases the likelihood of being reunited with your cat if they are lost or stolen. Microchips are a safe and effective method of identification, which makes them more reliable than collars and ID tags that can come off or get lost. Additionally, microchipping does not put your cat at risk of injury or discomfort.“ It is recommended to have your cat microchipped before they go outside for the first time. There is no minimum age requirement for microchipping your cat, but many kittens are microchipped when spayed or neutered while under local anaesthetic. However, the new law requires cats to be microchipped before they are 20 weeks. Microchipping your cat is a quick and painless procedure, no more painful than getting an injection. Your cat won’t need any recovery time and is unlikely to experience any discomfort or pain, as they may not even notice the microchip’s presence. The chip is no bigger than a grain of rice and is usually inserted under the skin between their shoulder blades, and you (or your cat) won’t notice it once it’s there. Your pet’s microchip contains a number, which will show up whenever your dog or cat is scanned. You must make sure that your dog or cat is registered on one of the following databases (they all meet government standards): AnimalData Animal Microchips Animal Tracker ChipHERO Chipped Monkey Chipworks DKC FidoID Greyhound Chip ID (racing greyhounds only) HomeAgain Identibase Lost Paws MicroChip Central My Animal Trace MyPet National Veterinary Data Service Pet Database Pet Identity UK Petlog PetScanner ProtectedPet SmartTrace Track Your Paws UK PETtrac MicroChip Database We Trace Pets You’ll be asked for your address and contact details when you register your pet on one of these databases. You can be fined up to £500 if your dog or cat is not registered on one of these databases. For more details from the govenment click here.