In December 2018, the Cat Welfare Debate was hosted in Parliament and part of the discussions included compulsory microchipping for cats. These discussions have been ongoing, but sadly delayed, due to the pandemic.
Microchipping has many benefits for cats and their owners, notably, if a cat should go missing, or worse still, be involved in a road traffic accident.
Currently, there is no legal obligation for a driver to stop and report if a cat has been hit by a car. It is also not compulsory for councils to scan for microchips. This can cause much distress to cat owners, if they are unable to trace their cat.
Cats Matter and DEFRA continue to campaign for compulsory microchipping of cats, as it is with dogs.
For more information Cats Matter provide helpful updates on their campaign https://www.catsmatter.org/single-post/update-on-the-upcoming-microchipping-of-cats-legislation
