Cat microchipping now mandatory for ALL cats in England

[Profpointy]

It will stop people abandoning their cats when they move house. There is some social housing at the end of my road with a high turnover of residents. They do it all the time.

Doubt it - "that's not my cat officer"

 

[T4tomo]

OK a one off case but seriously, do you not think a cheap chipping is worth the expense m just in case? I think the fine is an irrelevance but the identification isn't

Yes chipping is worth it if you'd like to be reunited with your car (dead or alive)

The fine is not a bloody irrelevance*, the whole point is it should be a choice, not mandatory.
The other point is it's pretty try much un-enforceable as a law

It won't stop irresponsible people abandoning pets, as they won't have them chipped in the first place

*Whether a rabbit can kick the shite out of a cat or vice versa is probably an irrelevance.

 

[dicko]

Hmmm Cats being microchipped?
The microchip is there for the ‘Cat to find it’s correct Servants’ not the other way around.

 

[Illaveago]

Mandatory for ALL cats?

Including cats in lower case.

Tough talk of fines, etc, but I can see a flaw. How do you fine an irresponsible cat owner if they haven't chipped the cat and you don't know who they are?

"Here's a fine for not midrochipping your cat."

"Eh? Its not  my cat." And because there's no chip it cant be proven otherwise.

A law with no reasonable or practical means of enforcement is a complete waste of time and resources.

Ah! They will bring out cat detector vans !

 

[Drago]

It will stop people abandoning their cats when they move house. There is some social housing at the end of my road with a high turnover of residents. They do it all the time.

Unless they don't chip them, in which case there's no evidence it was ever their cat.

People willing to break one law (animal neglect, in the scenario you mention) are hardly likely to sheet themselves when it comes to breaking another (mandatory chipping.)

If there's as much as a single person prosecuted within the next year I'd be genuinely surprised.

 

[Illaveago]

My main gripe about it is the fine ! Why are other crimes so lenient? Using a mobile phone whilst driving !

 

[Illaveago]

Are all microchips readable by any chip reader now ? At one time there were different brands which needed the correct reader.

 

[Time Waster]

I once was on a train and saw a cat sat on a fence pole in the countryside, open fields. It pounced and grabbed a rabbit then bound off with it in its mouth. I've never seen a cat take a rabbit before.
I had rabbits as a child and I wouldn't recommend them as a pet at all. They get neglected and bored in a hutch and in turn get frustrated and angry.

And imagine that rabbit but the size of a medium dog!

 

[Time Waster]

Like that rabbit in The Holy Grail?

That was a Diddy rabbit, this was huge. Probably heavier than most collie dogs. When it died and due to rigor mortis it didn't fully fit into a black bin bag it was so big. It got tied with the paws sticking right out! Although the temperament was about right!

AIUI you get German giant rabbit breed and an English giant both vie to have the biggest rabbit in the Guinness book of records. I think my friend had English giants.

 

[Time Waster]

My main gripe about it is the fine ! Why are other crimes so lenient? Using a mobile phone whilst driving !

You can always find crimes that you think are worse with lesser penalties. In this case you just need to look at it as being a paper penalty that is probably going to be rarely applied.

 

[Time Waster]

Are all microchips readable by any chip reader now ? At one time there were different brands which needed the correct reader.

Years ago I got told that the chips in dogs were pointless because if the authorities found a dog they don't actually check for chips. There's a bureaucratic reason why they don't even if they have the scanner. Something like a rule against it. As daft as it seems dog pound were only allowed to check for a collar tag.

 

[Illaveago]

Our old cats used to go rabbiting on a railway embankment. It was in the days when cats would be put out at night so that they could gather under your bedroom window for choir practice.

 

[Chris S]

It will stop people abandoning their cats when they move house. There is some social housing at the end of my road with a high turnover of residents. They do it all the time.

Doubt it - "that's not my cat officer"

They can't deny it if the cat has been microchipped.

 

[Profpointy]

They can't deny it if the cat has been microchipped.

Well quite! That's one good reason they won't chip the cat

 

[T4tomo]

If there's as much as a single person prosecuted within the next year I'd be genuinely surprised.

.....or if there is, it will be some little old lady who's cat wasn't bothering anyone.