Changing the law on cats?

[NotDarkGothicMama]

Following various rescues, it strikes me that a few simple changes to the law and microchipping system would do a lot of good.

• All owned cats to be neutered/spayed by 20 weeks, unless medically unfit or have a breeding passport.
• Any roaming cat without a microchip can be assumed to be unowned. This would allow vets, rescues and concerned locals to get them veterinary treatment without fear of prosecution.
• One single database for microchip details.
• Microchip status options for feral and stray cats so rescues can keep track of them.
• Microchip database(s) to let anyone with a scanner know if a cat has been marked as lost/deceased so they don't have to take up a vet's time with a happily owned, roaming cat.

Add on that microchip scanners must be registered to e.g a Vet Practice and everytime the chip is scanned, the central database tracks it.

We've had instances locally of missing pets having their chips scanned but no trace of who/why.

Friend of mine volunteers for CP, she does indeed now class all cats without a microchip stray. She does the normal, social media, paper collar, asking around if anyone knows the cat but if no go, takes it. The change in the chip law helps her now be clearer. She always takes a poorly cat, regardless of ownership status straight to the vet, then sorts out details later.

She also does TNR for ferals and also chips them, then able to keep track if the cat ever comes into a rescuer's radar again.

A cat missing would be useful! I've had 6 cats just near me where they've been either stray or lost and although have my own scanner, I still have to ask my friend from CP for a fav so she can look it up.

And oh god, yes, neuter straight away. I live in a relatively poor area and people just do not bloody neuter. It's endless the amount of cats and kittens that need help.

I agree with the single chip database. I've got five rescues and although chipped, it wasn't easy changing all the addresses with five different companies.

If owners allow cats outdoors, they are responsible for any damage caused.

Plus the constant posts of cat owners blaming the driver if they get killed on the road. Cats run into the road.

Cat owners want it both ways.

(I have a cat and a cat proof garden)

But with the chip - it should have to be registered on implantation, and the person who is first listed should remain responsible until another person takes it over.

This would mean details are more likely to be updated.

Chips not being registered drives me nuts. Very poor admin practice by the implanter, and the poor owners who think they've done the right thing by chipping but it's useless.

A relative of mine found a poorly stray cat last year. It basically hung around in the vicinity of their home for several days until one morning they opened their front door and it just ran inside. They took it to the vet. It didn't have a microchip. The vet said it was middle-aged and seemed to be fairly weak and a bit deaf, so feed it up a bit and see how it goes.

So they took the cat in and looked after it. They tried to find out who owned it, posted on local facebook pages, put notes up in local shops but nothing. After about a month and another vet trip later, the vet suggested that the cat should be microchipped and basically said right, the cat belongs to you now.

The cat (and my family member) are very happy together.

I think cat owners would like people to stick to the speed limit, and or at least try and find owner/take dead cat to vets to the owners find out.

There was a campaign a little while back asking people to not just leave the cats, dead or injured.

I moved to London to look after FIL. Spent 10k on new fences and cat proofing. My cat over a period of 4 months of losing her freedom lost every single bit of happiness. She withdrew, stood in corner of the room with her back to us, stopped eating. It's not always possible to keep a cat happy and indoors.

I've always had to register it myself but vets need to be really really clear that they need to do it when they take the cat home!

The only thing that worries me with that is when it goes wrong. One of the largest companies in the UK went down for some months, pets no longer registered, details incorrect, locked out of accounts. It was a nightmare.

Regarding the neutering, vets would have to be on board with that. When we got Charlie our otherwise excellent vet wouldn't neuter him until he was 8 months old. No way was I risking him spraying so we changed to another vet who did it at 4 months.

My vet won't spay/neuter until the cat is 2kg. I take my rescues to a cat specialist vet who does it from 1kg.