To not want to get my cat microchipped

We have plenty of elderly cats get brought to the vets as reportedly lost. People leave doors open by accident, the cats wander out and are a bit doddery or potentially senile/poor vision/hearing. The cats are totally bewildered outside and have no street sense and end up at the vets.

It's really sad because you know they have a cosy home somewhere.

It's like a finding a lost and confused granny and not being able to help them 😔

I'm planning to do this. I only heard of the law change very recently.
We have 2 cats that are 18, neither leave the back garden and spend the majority of the time indoors.
I'm not upsetting them with a trip to the vets to be chipped at their old age. If they are there for something else and the vet mentions it, then yeah I'll have it done!
We don't have insurance or use catteries.

It's hardly invasive, but if one of mine was 18, indoors-only and un-chipped I don't think I would bother either.

The vet won't do anything about it either way - loads of people don't chip their dogs even though it's been the law for years.

I wouldn't do it at your cats age. If the vet says anything next time you go, then perhaps consider it but vet has never asked if my pets are chipped.

I would try to avoid it if I were you and if your vet insists do it then.

'Invasive' 😂it's hardly a major operation!

It's not unusual to hear stories of people taking in other people's cats and keeping them - at least with this you can prove your cat is your cat.

I think probably vets might pick it up when you visit. It's not any worse than an injection though, does your cat get vaccines? If not because they are indoor then I guess you could get away with not doing it and if you ever need a vet in an emergency you could just day you rescued the cat from an elderly neighbour or something to explain the lack of chip.

I wouldn't. At 18 she is in her autumn years and I wouldn't be putting an elderly cat through a trip to the vets unless necessary.

It isn't invasive, it's no different to giving a cat an injection. It's also the law now.

Had cats for 40-odd years, every one was microchipped.

Our vet won’t see you without microchip details (maybe they would in an absolute emergency but they won’t for the purpose of regular appointments like dental checks, immunisation appointments etc). It’s also necessary for insurance.

Mine were done when they were kittens. It’s peace of mind for me. The one left doesn’t really go out now but they can be quite curious when they’re following their noses.

If you live in a 10th floor flat it isn’t necessary, but if your cat could get out then I’d do it.

My little one is 19 now and I worry about cat dementia and getting lost.

You can't 100% guarantee that the cat will never get out or get lost. It's pretty irresponsible not to chip them, it's not an invasive procedure - it's an injection. Isn't it against the law not to? What if she needs to go to a vet for treatment? Won't they insist on her being chipped?

It’s so uninvasive that my eldest cat is chipped twice because I forgot I had him done and then when he got neutered the next year I asked the vet to chip him and the vet forgot to check he wasn’t already chipped! 🙈😆

It is not invasive, ( at least not for dogs) but at your cats age & the fact it’s 100% indoor, I understand why you might not want to take her to the vet just for that.

I cannot see any decent vet ever withholding treatment such as pain meds in an animal - they are all about the animal welfare.

Our local rescue shelter often has dogs handed in with no chip, or false details, so despite it being law, it’s not exactly enforced.

Our dog's microchip had migrated from his neck to somewhere in his thigh, so we always had to explain where to find it

My cats has moved so it's a bit of a hunt for the chip when she's at the vets. They always check for it.

Eh, why do you think it's invasive?

I wouldn't bother at that age. I am also not sure who is going to enforce this, I doubt vets will be reporting their customers, or there will be special enforcement officers patrolling the streets trying to lure cats to a scanner.
The only scenario I can envisage is if the cat gets lost / picked up and finds its way to the 'dog' warden and then enroute to the pound. You'd need to pay the release fee and a fine to get them back.

O woops, the fine is 500 sorry I misread.
Still I would indeed leave it until next time you are at the vet.

I'd wait until the next visit, Op, and if the vet raises it, comply

My boy is 15 and hates the vets, last time he went he was really badly affected for 3 days. I certainly wouldn't make a special visit to the vets just to be chipped

You need to be a responsible pet owner. You cannot guarantee she will never end up outside.

As people have said, it’s the law in England from next month and there only exclusion is for feral cats. It’s really no different from getting your cat vaccinated against infectious diseases - it’s just an injection - and if your cat ever was to escape then your chances of getting her back are obviously increased, particularly if she starts to get a bit confused the older she gets.

How much is the fine? Less than 500? I would not bother either. Wait and see what the future brings. Put the money aside for vet care.

It's not just about you & your cat though is it.
Lots of cats get lost or worse stolen. If / when you take your cat to the vet, they will check the microchip against the database...
Same with dogs, criminals even try to get the chip out in oder to sell them on as pets.... Same can happen to cats. Having her chipped will rule out any confusion to ownership.

In the - admittedly unlikely - event she got out and was hurt then having a microchip will mean that you will be notified where she is and you'd be able to make decisions about her care, if she needs it, so much more quickly. It's of benefit to the cat, it really is.

You might know how heartbreaking it is looking for a cat which has disappeared. Night after night wandering the local streets calling her name, trying to hear any tiny mew over the sound of the traffic (hence doing it at night). Phoning all the local vets and animal sanctuaries, phoning the Council to ask if the bin men have seen a body in the road...... I've done it, hours wandering around the roads where I lived near central London, late at night and early morning. Took 3 days before I found her.

An easy injection for a microchip would have saved me and saved her, but it was before I'd even heard of microchips and no vet suggested them to me. Long time ago, but the bleakness of my heart at the time, well, I've not forgotten it.

Next time you have to taje her to the vet, have a chat with them.