AN RSPCA worker has highlighted the importance of an incoming cat microchipping law.

Millions of cats must be inserted with the small electronic device by June 2024 after the compulsory cat microchipping legislation was introduced in Parliament in March 2023.

Pet cats in England must be microchipped under law which could see their owners face a £500 fine if they do not get it done.

Under the new rules cats must be implanted with a microchip before they reach the age of 20 weeks and their contact details stored and kept up to date in a pet microchipping database.

Michelle Round, of the RSPCA committee in Barrow, said it would enable more owners to find their cats if they go missing.

"There have been several incidents where cats have been missing for years and then all of a sudden they turn up again," she said.

"With the microchip, they get scanned and their owners get their cats back."

Microchipping involves inserting a chip, generally around the size of a grain of rice, under the skin of a pet.

This has a unique serial number that the keeper needs to register on a database.

When an animal is found, the microchip can be read with a scanner and the registered keeper identified on a database so the pet can quickly be reunited with them.

Ms Round, who has been part of Barrow RSCPA for 11 years, said that despite it being a 'really positive' rule, there will still be people who will not microchip their cats.

"All we can do is encourage people to do it," she said.

"I would advise if people move house or change the phone number to make sure that they update their records.

"People sometimes don't do that and when the vets or a charity finds an animal, scan it and the details are incorrect they can't find the owners that way."

Environment Secretary Therese Coffey said: “Cats and kittens are treasured members of the family, and it can be devastating for owners when they are lost or stolen.

“Legislating for compulsory microchipping of cats will give comfort to families by increasing the likelihood that lost or stray pets can be reunited with their owners.”