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Cat owners urged to ensure their cat is microchipped
“Microchipping is by far the most effective and quickest way of identifying lost pets” – Christine Middlemiss.
New law will come into force on 10 June 2024.

Saturday, 2 March will mark 100 days until it becomes compulsory in England for pet cats more than 20 weeks old to be microchipped.

With the 100-day countdown set to begin, the government has joined forces with animal and veterinary charities to remind cat owners that they will need to follow the new law from 10 June 2024. After that date, if a cat is found not to have a microchip the owner will have 21 days to get one or risk facing a fine of £500.

The most recent data from the CATS (Cats And Their Stats Report), produced by Cats Protection, suggests that about 2.2 million pet cats in England are not microchipped. A further 300,000 cats are owned by people who are unsure if their cat has a microchip.

As well as having their cat microchipped, owners will have to ensure that their contact details are kept up to date on the microchip database.

The organisations working alongside the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to raise awareness of the forthcoming law are Cats Protection, Battersea, the British Veterinary Association, the British Small Animal Veterinary Association, International Cat Care, PDSA, and the RSPCA.

Madison Rogers, head of advocacy, campaigns and government relations at Cats Protection, said: “As we enter the 100-day countdown, we’d urge owners to use the time to make sure their cat is chipped and the details are up to date.

“It’s important to remember that all pet cats over 20 weeks need to be microchipped, even if they are indoor cats or ones which stay close to home. Cats are agile, curious and can be masters of escape, and it’s easy for family members or visitors to accidentally leave a window or door open. If this does happen, indoor cats are equally at risk of getting lost as other cats – perhaps even more so if they’re unfamiliar with the surroundings – so it’s vital they are microchipped.

“No matter how far from home they are found, or how long they have been missing, if a cat has a microchip there is a good chance they can be swiftly returned home.”

Christine Middlemiss, the UK's chief veterinary officer, added: “Microchipping is by far the most effective and quickest way of identifying lost pets. As we’ve seen with dog microchipping, animals that are microchipped are more than twice as likely to be reunited with their owner.”

Image © Cats Protection

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Antibiotic Amnesty survey opens

News Story 1
 The Responsible Use of Medicines Alliance - Companion Animal and Equine (RUMA - CA&E) has launched a survey which seeks to measure the success of this year's Antibiotic Amnesty campaign.

Its results will help the group to calculate how many unused or out-of-date antibiotics were returned as part of the campaign throughout November. Practices are also asked how they engaged with clients to raise awareness of the issue.

Participating practices can enter a prize draw to win up to 100 in vouchers for taking part. Further prizes from BSAVA and Webinar Vet will be available for practices with the best input.

The survey takes a few minutes to complete and will be running throughout December. It can be accessed via this link

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Avian flu confirmed at premises in Cornwall

A case of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 has been detected in commercial poultry at a premises near Rosudgeon, Cornwall.

All poultry on the infected site will be humanely culled, and a 3km protection zone and 10km surveillance zone have been put in place. Poultry and other captive birds in the 3km protection zone must be housed.

The case is the second avian flu case confirmed in commercial poultry this month. The H5N5 strain was detected in a premises near Hornsea, East Riding of Yorkshire, in early November. Before then, the disease had not been confirmed in captive birds in England since February.

The UK chief veterinary officer has urged bird keepers to remain alert and practise robust biosecurity.

A map of the disease control zones can be found here.