Does my cat need a chip?

I understand there is a new, compulsory law for microchipping cats. My two cats never go out and I would like to know if the law applies to them. Also, what does microchipping involve, is it expensive and why has the law been brought in anyway?

- DR DAVID GRANT

A In England, cats must be microchipped before they reach 20 weeks, and others that have not yet been microchipped also have to be. The law was introduced in June 2024, but it seems the message has not been fully taken on board.

According to 2024 PDSA statistics 22% of cats, (2.4 million) were not microchipped. More surprising, 54% of cat owners are not aware of the law.

It has been introduced to combat the huge number of cats that end up in rescue centres, often full to the brim. It is sad to deal with "stray" cats that are obviously owned. Without a microchip it is difficult to reunite cat and owner.

Placing a microchip is no different to any other injection. The chip contains a unique ID number, which is logged on a government-approved database. Anyone scanning the cat subsequently, a vet or rescue society, for example, can then locate the owner.