Microchipping your cat is the best way to ensure our adventurous feline friends are reunited with their owners if they can’t find their way home.
We’ve put this article together to go through the main questions a pet owner might have on microchipping.
What is a cat microchip?
A microchip is a small device (about the size of a grain of rice) which is inserted under the skin using a syringe. Each microchip has a unique 15 digit number which can be read by a microchip scanner.
The microchip doesn’t store any personal data – it just stores the 15 digit number which is linked to your data by a government-compliant microchip database like MyPet.
If your pet is found and handed in to a Vet practice or an animal rescue, they can log in to their database account and get your details. Alternatively, the organisation can ring the microchip database who will get in contact with you.
If you’re interested in finding out more about microchips check out THIS guide to microchips and THIS article on how they work.
Lastly, if you want to read more about microchip databases in the UK check out THIS article on how to use compliant databases to find your pets details, and THIS article on the different databases in the UK.
Do I have to microchip my cat?
New legislation has been brought in recently which requires cat owners to have their cats microchipped and registered by 10th June 2024.
Owners who are caught breaking these rules will have 21 days to have a microchip implanted and if they don’t do this, they may be fined £500.
We’re pretty excited about this as we believe it will get a lot more cats home when they get lost and also help in giving cat owners peace of mind if their pet is found deceased.
Who can implant my cat's microchip?
Anyone implanting a microchip in a cat must be trained to do this. The following people can implant microchips:
- Vets
- Veterinary nurses
- Implanters that have taken and passed a Defra-approved implanter course.
Does microchipping hurt my cat?
The short answer is no. Your cat should feel little to no discomfort during the procedure. It’s about the same as receiving their vaccinations.
Once the microchip is implanted your cat won’t feel it under their skin – and it’s designed to last your pet’s entire life, so it should be a one-off thing to do.
How do I know if my cat is microchipped?
We recommend a few things to check this:
- Your cat’s microchip is usually found on paperwork. It’s normally a 15-digit number starting with a 9
(Read THIS ARTICLE for more information on microchip numbers) - We always recommend getting the microchip number checked annually at the vet. This helps ensure the microchip is still functioning and the number you have is correct.
(You can also buy a scanner HERE if you’d like to have one of your own)
How do I register my cat's microchip?
If you’ve just got your cat microchipped, your implanter should give you instructions on registering your microchip. Depending on which database the implanter uses this registration can cost you up to £30.00.
If your implanter uses MyPet microchips, it’s 100% free to register and update for life. We never charge for this. Ask your implanter which database they use first and check the charges that are involved.
If you’ve had your cat microchipped and you are not sure if your pet’s microchip is registered, pop the number in below and we will tell you:
- If your pet’s microchip is registered on any Government compliant database.
(You can see a full list of compliant databases HERE) and; - Which database your pet’s microchip is registered on.
