Gloucestershire cat owners warned to microchip pets
Owners could face a fine of up to five hundred pounds if they fail to microchip their pet under a law coming into force next week.
There are just four days left to register your cat before a law change comes into place which could see owners face a fine of up to five hundred pounds.
After 10 June, it will be a legal requirement to have cats microchipped before they reach the age of 20 weeks.
If you are found to have not microchipped your cat, you will be given 21 days to get it done. If you still have not done it after this point, you will face a fine of up to £500.
Microchips mean lost, stray or stolen cats can be reunited with their owners.
It's already a legal requirement for dogs to be chipped, and that is now being extended to cats.
Owners should also make sure to keep details up to date, and can contact their microchip database if they change phone numbers or house address.
If you are rehoming your cat, you will need to complete a transfer of ownership document so the new owners' details will be on the microchip database.
If your cat dies you should report this to your microchip database so their files can be updated.
Nikole Cateaux-Newcombe, from Cheltenham Animal Shelter, said microchipping will help the shelter to reunite lost cats with their owners, she said: "If cats are chipped we can contact the owner and most owners will come and pick up their cat straight away. And it is really important if unfortunately we see cats that are injured or deceased that we can contact the owners."
"A lot of people may not have their house cats microchipped because they don't go outside. But in this case it is even more important because the cats won't know where they are if they end up outside and won't know which way to go back home."
Microchipping is not compulsory for free living cats that live with little or no human interaction or dependency, such as farm, feral or community cats.