IN PICTURES: Unwanted cats at Woodgreen Animal Shelter near Peterborough show new microchipping rules are being ignored

Alarm sounded at first anniversary of new rules

Staff at the Woodgreen Animal Shelter are warning cat owners in Peterborough to be aware of the legal requirement for the pets to be microchipped.

The alarm has been sounded just days ahead of the first anniversary – June 10 – of compulsory cat microchipping.

From last year it became a legal requirement under the Microchipping of Cats and Dogs (England) Regulations 2023. for pet owners to microchip their cat before they reach 20 weeks of age,

But staff at the shelter say the message does not seem to have got through to many car owners.

They say that three out of five - 65 percent - of stray cats brought into Woodgreen’s centre at Godmanchester over the past 12 months were not microchipped.

Staff also say that many cat owners they speak to each day are not aware that the law even exists.

This puts their pets at greater risk of not being reunited with their humans should they go missing.

Figures released by the shelter show that between May 1, 2024 and April 30 this year, the charity saw a 38 percent year-on-year increase in stray cats when compared to the same period the previous year.

These pets are less likely to be reclaimed, with only seven percent of stray cats reunited with their owners at Woodgreen in the past 12 months.

Reasons include cats having either no microchip or incorrect details linked to the chip, meaning there’s no way to contact owners to let them know their beloved pet is safe.

Beverley Street, senior operations manager at Woodgreen, said: “A year after the change in the law, we’re still seeing a very high number of stray cats arriving without a microchip.

"Even more concerning is that many cat owners who do come to reclaim their pets simply don’t know about the law change.

“Having your cat microchipped and keeping the details up to date is absolutely the best way to ensure you have every chance of getting your cat home if they go missing.

"When cats come into Woodgreen without a microchip or with out-of-date contact details, it hugely reduces the chances of us being able to locate an owner.”