Changes to Cat Microchipping Legislation

29th May 2024

Calling all cat owners, as of June 2024 all cats in England must be microchipped. If your cat is not microchipped, you need to act now.

Changes to cat microchipping legislation

As of 10^th June 2024, all cats in England must be microchipped. This legislation was announced by the Government’s Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) in March 2023 after many years of campaigning from UK animal charities, including Cats Protection.

This announcement means that all domestic cats in England must be microchipped before they reach 20 weeks of age, and then registered on a DEFRA-compliant microchip database, such as HomeAgain© If you do not comply and your cat is not microchipped before the deadline you could receive a potential £500 fine.

Why the new legislation?

The new legislation will make reuniting lost cats with their owners easier. All cats will have a microchip that an animal professional can scan and then look up on a microchip database to find the owner’s contact details.

What do I need to do?

If your cat is already microchipped and registered on a DEFRA-compliant microchip database, then you don’t need to do anything. If your cat is not microchipped, or if you are unsure if they have been, book an appointment with your vet to discuss with them.

If you aren’t sure which microchip database they are registered on, you can use the free microchip search tool on the website of our partner HomeAgain.  Simply type in your pet’s microchip number and it will show you which database you’re registered with. Your cat’s microchip number should be with your vaccination/health card. If not, simply ask your vet to scan your pet’s microchip for the number when you next visit.

Registering your cat on a microchip database is just as important as getting the microchip implanted. The microchip gives your cat a unique identification number, and the microchip database stores your contact details associated with the chip number, so animal professionals can contact you if your cat is found after being lost or stolen. Choosing the right microchip database is important, as they store your personal data, and may charge you when you want to update it. Remember, this is separate from your vet’s clinical records of your pet.

Harness the power of your cat’s microchip

In addition to helping reunite lost cats with their owners, microchips can be used to identify specific pets using pet tech devices, that read a pet's unique microchip identification number and store it into their memory to identify the pet each time they use the device.

The SureFlap© Microchip Cat Flap was designed to utilise this microchip technology, reading a cat’s existing microchip and to use this like an electronic door key, giving cats access to their own home without wearing a collar, while stopping other cats in the neighbourhood accessing their home. This microchip technology is used throughout the range of SureFlap products and works perfectly for multi-pet households, it is also used in certain SureFeed© products and Felaqua Connect©.

SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder and Microchip Feeder Connect are smart pet feeders that read your pet’s existing microchip or RFID collar tag and only open for the registered pet, ideal for multi-pet households as prevents other pets stealing food that isn’t theirs.   

Felaqua Connect is a smart water monitoring station that is designed to be used by any cat, it recognises individual cats by their microchip or RFID collar tag to monitor and report on each cat's water consumption, even in multi-pet households.