Letter: Assembly must take action on microchipping to ensure Northern Ireland isn't left behind on animal welfare

A letter from Alice Palombo:

Letters to editor

On June 10, an important new cat welfare law came into effect – but only for pet cats in England.

This new legislation will mean all pet cats in England must be microchipped, ensuring they have the best possible chance to be reunited with their owners if they go missing or are injured.

Cats Protection is campaigning to make sure cats in Northern Ireland are not left behind on this important feline welfare issue.

Figures from our Cats and Their Stats report 2023 shows over a quarter of cats in Northern Ireland – around 76,000 – are currently not microchipped.

This is one of the lowest rates in the UK and means that if cats become lost they may never be returned home. It also puts a strain on Northern Irish animal charities, which may end up rehoming stray cats because they’re unable to trace their owner.

Animal welfare is a devolved issue, and we’re urging the Northern Ireland Assembly to take action to introduce compulsory microchipping of pet cats.

In addition to the new law for cats in England, microchipping has been compulsory for dogs in Northern Ireland since 2012.

As a nation of animal lovers, we must ensure that animal welfare standards in Northern Ireland keeps up with the rest of the UK.

To find out how to support our campaign, please visit cats.org.uk/campaigning

Alice Palombo, Cats Protection advocacy and government relations officer for Northern Ireland