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Thousands of cats still not being microchipped - RSPCA
The RSPCA is calling on pet owners to get their cats microchipped.

Out-of-date contact details rendering many chips useless 

Thousands of cats going into the care of the RSPCA do not have a microchip or up-to-date contact details, according to new figures.

Figures released by the charity show that 5,647 cats were taken in by RSPCA centres in England and Wales during 2017. However, a staggering 4,896 of these did not have a chip and, of those that did, many had out-of-date contact details.

“Not only are a lot of cats still not being chipped but, during one week last summer, our London veterinary hospitals had nine cats with out-of-date microchip details making it extremely difficult to track down their owners,” said Caroline Allen, director of the RSPCA’s London hospitals.

“We see cases where we would love to reunite microchipped cats with their owner but can't because the details have not been updated.”

One cat that could not be reunited with his owner is four-year-old Elvis. Elvis arrived at the RSPCA’s Southall Cattery in December with a fractured pelvis and no microchip. Sadly his owner could not be traced and Elvis is now on the hunt for a new forever home.

Another example is Gizmo, a ginger cat with a microchip that showed an adddress and number in Poland. Gizmo was found straying and poorly with diarrhoea, dehydration and a distended abdomen. However, because the microchip was registered to a Polish database, staff believe his owners did not update their details when they moved to the UK.

In light of their findings, the RSPCA is now calling on pet owners to get their cats microchipped and to ensure that details are kept up-to-date.

“Microchipping your pet is vitally important in ensuring that if anything happens to them, if they are lost or stolen, or hit by a car, then they can be returned to you,” Caroline continued.

“Despite our best efforts to find an owner, the most reliable way to identify a cat is to have him or her microchipped. If the contact details are out-of-date the chip is completely useless so it is vitally important to tell the chip company yourself if any contact details change.” 

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Reporting service for dead wild birds updated

News Story 1
 The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has updated its online reporting service for dead wild birds.

The new version allows those reporting a dead bird to drop a pin on a map when reporting the location. It also includes a wider range of wild bird species groups to select from when describing the bird.

The online service, which helps APHA to monitor the spread of diseases such as avian influenza, can be accessed here. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
NI chief vet urges bluetongue vigilance

Northern Ireland's chief veterinary officer (CVO) has urged farmers to be vigilant for signs of bluetongue, after the Animal and Plant Health Agency warned there was a very high probability of further cases in Great Britain.

There have been 126 confirmed cases of bluetongue virus serotype 3 in England since November 2023, with no cases reported in Northern Ireland. The movement of live ruminants from Great Britain to Northern Ireland is currently suspended.

According to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), the virus is most likely to enter Northern Ireland through infected animals or germplasm (semen or ova) being imported.

Brian Dooher, Northern Ireland's CVO, said: "Surveillance for this disease within Northern Ireland has been increased to assist with detection at the earliest opportunity which will facilitate more effective control measures."

Farmers should report any suspicions of the disease to their private veterinary practitioner, the DAERA Helpline on 0300 200 7840 or their local DAERA Direct Veterinary Office.