Wiltshire cat owners urged to get pets microchipped ahead of new law
Cats must be microchipped from Monday 10th June in England
Cat owners in Wiltshire are being urged to make sure their cats are microchipped ahead of a new law coming into action next week.
From Monday 10th June, it becomes law in England that cats must be microchipped and registered on a database by the time they are 20 weeks old - with owners who fail to do so facing a fine of up to £500.
There is a 21-day grace period until the fines come into action.
Having a pet microchipped can be vital should they go missing as it allows vets to quickly and easily trace an animals owner.
Nathalie Downgray, from Tisbury-based charity iCatCare, told Greatest Hits Radio that it's crucial cats are chipped because of the lifestyle they lead.
"Cats can be quite inquisitive," she said, adding: "They like to roam, especially young cats, they're exploring their environment.
"Unfortunately that sometimes puts them at risk of getting lost, something happens, they might get startled and they end up in places maybe that they shouldn't be."
She stressed that even indoor cats should be chipped, saying: "We're coming into summer time now in the UK, windows are open doors might be open perhaps are more likely to get out."
Ms Downgray said more cats being microchipped will help vets make appropriate decisions when dealing with stray cats based on their lifestyle needs.
She added that it's not going to be an easy law to police, but said that it should encourage owners to 'do the right thing' by getting their pet chipped.
She said: "I think local authorities and government groups, especially in the sort of cost of living crisis that we're in at the moment, I think all of us recognise that it's probably not necessarily appropriate use of resources to spend a huge amount of cost policing this law, but I think it's going to be a way of further encouraging people to do that right thing and to microchip the cat."
Charity's like iCatCare have been using social media to encourage cat owners to get their pets chipped, with some even setting up microchipping events.
Ms Downgray said people may view the law as 'another thing they have to do' but told us the safety element trumped that.