Cat owners baffled to learn they can be fined £500 for breaking little-known law

Cat owners could be fined

Even indoor cat owners need to be aware of this little-known rule which could see owners fined.

Cat owner @two.islam took to TikTok to share his shock after realising he could now, as of June 10, be fined due to a little-known law introduced by the government. The baffled content creator took to TikTok, to say: "How can I find that that from today there is a new law that if your cat is not microchipped you could be fined £500. Even if your cat is an indoor cat you can still be fined."

The cat owner pointed his followers to the government website, where it says: "Your cat must be microchipped and registered by the time they're 20 weeks old. This includes cats that usually stay indoors. You can be fined up to £500 if your dog or cat is not microchipped when they need to be."

Filming his cat Milan, he added: "But what if I don't want to microchip you? They are going to force me to microchip him. How is that even allowed?"

While some people were shocked at the news, many others explained that it's a relatively inexpensive procedure - and would make it easier to find cats if they got lost. "It's only £20 and it keeps them safe so if they get lost, they can scan them and get them back to you," shared one person.

Another added: "In case he escapes. Accidents happen it's more a precaution. It's to keep him safe so he will always find his way back home," while a third simply said: "It's a good thing though."

Recent figures had shown that as many as 25% of cats in the UK weren't microchipped - or the equivalent of three million felines. If you weren't aware of the law, there's still time to do something about it.

As of June 10, cat owners have 21 days to microchip and register their cats at the vets. Pet owners who don't comply risk the fine, and local authorities will even have the power to seize and remove cats without a microchip, before returning them.

According to the RSPCA, microchipping your cat costs between £10-£30. This should be done by a trained professional, who will insert a tiny microchip under your cat's skin. This allows your pet to have a unique code, which can't be seen, but can be read with a scanner.