Charity encourages people to get their cats chipped before June

LOCAL charity Search and Scan (SAS) is encouraging cat owners in Melksham to get their furry feline friends chipped before it becomes compulsory on 10th June – or risk facing a fine of £500.  

SAS, which operates across Wiltshire and Somerset, reunites lost animals with their owners and the charity says that getting your cat chipped is the best way to help find them if they go missing. The government announced last year that it would be introducing compulsory microchipping for all owned cats by June 2024.

The new rules mean 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.

A spokesperson for SAS said, “Identity chipping of all domestic cats becomes compulsory on 10th June. If you own a cat it will need to be microchipped and recorded on an appropriate database before your cat reaches 20 weeks old. There will be a £500 fine if you don’t comply.

“If you have a new kitten or you have adopted an older cat, you need to make sure they are microchipped – it should be at the top of your list alongside making sure that your cat is spayed or neutered. Microchipping your cat gives them the best chance of being identified and returned to you if they are lost or stolen.

“Microchips are safe, easy to implant and effective; microchips don’t come off and they don’t put your cat at risk of injury. A small chip (around the size of a grain of rice) is inserted under your cat’s skin – usually by your vet, a local authority or a trained and insured member of an animal welfare organisation, such as Cats Protection. This microchip gives your cat their own unique code.

“If your cat were to go missing, the microchip would be scanned with a microchip scanner (carried by SAS volunteers when they are involved) and matched to your contact details, which are kept on a protected cat microchip database.

“We search for and scan animals when found to reunite them with their owner. Some animals have passed over, however owners still need to know the outcome for their loved pet. Some have been missing for a long time.

“We have volunteers spread across the south west and each one is an animal lover wanting to do their bit to help. We have a mission to promote the humane behaviour towards animals in the south west by providing appropriate care, protection, treatment and security for domestic animals which are missing or have strayed from their homes and are therefore suffering and in distress by providing and coordinating search and rescue operations and through providing education to domestic animal owners.”

Could you help feral cats in Melksham?

SAS also say that they are undertaking work to trap, chip and neuter feral cats in Melksham and they are appealing for help with this.

“SAS volunteers in Wiltshire have been talking amongst themselves recently, and one subject was continuously brought up: the trap, microchip, neuter and release of feral cats in the county,” says the charity. “It was felt that with microchipping becoming compulsory for domestic cats, our feral colonies should also have the dignity of a digital identity to give them a voice.

“Search and Scan – Feral Outreach has already begun to take responsibility for feral cats in some areas. A unanimous decision was made that they would add to this by offering our skills of trapping to aide trap, microchip, neuter and release.

“The Wiltshire team is working with agencies across the county, and we have support for SAS Feral Outreach at Harris Hill and Gibbons vets. We offer rescue and recuperating space/support with Cats In Distress and we have an agreement that the SAS volunteers would trap, transport to the vets/back to Cats in Distress for rest, then return to the original location for release.

“Feral cats lead a risky life. Donations of food and money help SAS Feral Outreach to help them live a better life. Less fighting, less searching for mates, less chance of life-threatening disease, less parasite infections and less kittens being born into their difficult life.

“If anyone would like to contribute towards this, donations can be made by a bank payment into our Search and Scan account using the reference ‘Feral’ using: sort code – 60-05-06. account number -15168352. Registered Charity Number 1196253

“This reference will ensure your donation is earmarked specifically for this cause. It allows us to tally the sums and prioritise the cats most in need; we are aware of some cats that have had so many litters in their short lives that their health is being adversely affected.

“If you cannot donate cash but would like to donate in another way, we will happily accept food donations, which can be dropped off to Katie Miluk at PamPurredPets in Trowbridge or please message us to see if a volunteer can arrange collection.”

SAS can be contacted on Facebook by searching Search and Scan – SAS.