Cats must be microchipped from today
Around 200,000 cats in the East of England are thought to be unchipped as the new law comes into force
Cats must be microchipped from today as a new law comes into force.
The new rules mean that felines must be microchipped before they reach the age of 20 weeks with only unowned cats, like feral and community cats, being exempt.
Their contact details must also be stored and kept up to date in a Government approved pet microchipping database.
Figures from the Cats Protection charity suggest of the one million owned cats in the East of England, around 200,000 are thought to be unchipped.
"It helps reunite family members"
David Allen is an RSPCA animal rescue officer covering Cambridgeshire:
"I do think it will be something that will make a difference," he said.
"We deal with thousands of (lost or stray) cats a year and I think 1,500 cats just this year alone; the value in microchipping, it helps our job out and helps reunite family members.
"There is a concern that if people aren't getting their cats microchipped, there's that unknown if anything were to happen to your pet, you wouldn't know so it's important to get them microchipped."
Owners could be fined
Microchipping involves a chip, around the size of a grain of rice, being inserted under the skin of a pet.
The microchip has a unique serial number that the owner needs to register on a database.
When an animal is found, the microchip can be read with a scanner and the registered keeper is identified on a database so the pet can be reunited with them.
If owners have missed the 10th June deadline, there is a 21-day grace period to make sure pets are microchipped, or they risk a fine of up to £500.
Currently the law is only in England, but Cats Protection are continuing to campaign for the laws in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The new law of mandatory microchipping aims to help lost or stray cats return home safely.
Microchipping cats "always a concern"
"I think there's always been a concern (with microchipping cats)," David added.
"Most cats find a way home, and it's not even on the cat themselves because if they fall injured, there's nothing they can do to get home so by them being microchipped, they can be reunited.