Microchipping your cat: What you need to know.
With about a quarter of a million cats missing in the UK and 55% of cat owners reporting that their cat has gone missing at some point in their lives according to recent research by Admiral Insurance, the need for an up-to-date microchip cannot be understated.
Every year, our kennel team help to reunite hundreds of missing cats with their owners and without microchips, many of these reunions wouldn’t happen.
What is microchipping?
Microchipping is a simple, speedy, and completely safe procedure where a microchip – the size of a grain of rice – is inserted under your pet’s skin.
The chip carries a number unique to your pet, which is registered with a database. This holds details about your pet, as well as your own contact details. If your pet should get lost and be picked up as a stray, this is the best way for the animal shelter or vet to find you.
Microchipping is still a fairly new form of pet identification – fortunately though, through ease of availability and changes in both attitude and legislation it’s been widely adopted.
Why is micro-chipping so important?
Microchipping your pets greatly increases your chances of being reunited with your beloved pet if they were to run away, get lost, or be stolen. Collars and tags also work for this purpose, but these can be removed, a microchip stays with the pet for life.
It is also set to become a legal requirement in England with a new law introduce that states that all cats must be microchipped by 2024. Microchipping has already been a legal requirement for dogs in the UK since 2016.
While Scotland is not yet set to make microchipping compulsory for cat owners, we strongly recommend that you do. According to recent figures, about 27% of owned cats are not currently microchipped.
This is shocking when you consider that cats are often let out to freely roam as they please.
How do I get my cat micro-chipped?
You can get your cat microchipped at the vet. It usually costs between £10-£30 however some vet practices will include microchipping as part of their health plan and some charities offer the service for a reduced price.
Talk to us about micro-chipping
As part of their care, every animal that is rehomed through Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home will have their microchip updated or be given a microchip if they don’t already have one.
The Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home also offer a microchipping service to pet owners. This costs £15 and must be booked in advance.