If you have a dog in the UK or a cat in England, they must be microchipped by a certain age. For dogs, they need to have a microchip by the time they’re eight weeks old and for cats it’s 20 weeks old.
Crucially, you need to ensure your cat is microchipped even if you intend to have it as a house cat – after all, you never know what may happen and house cats can escape too!
If you are in Scotland, Northern Ireland or Wales, you don’t have to microchip your cat, although it is certainly advisable as it will make it much more likely that you’ll be reunited should they go missing.
But who is able to carry out the microchipping process? Do you need to take your cat or dog to a vet or can this be done by someone else? Under UK law, any trained professional can microchip an animal.
Who counts as a trained professional for pet microchipping?
Put simply, this is anyone who has taken a DEFRA-approved microchipping course. This course teaches people all they need to know to carry out this simple procedure safely.
As part of a microchip implanter course, you learn not only the practical procedures behind inserting a microchip into common pets like dogs and cats, but also the theory of how the microchips work and why they are important for keeping our animals safe.
Aside from vets, other people who may choose to become qualified pet microchippers could be those working at animal rescue centres, as well as dog or cat breeders. Being able to insert microchips without the need for a vet is a very useful skill in these situations.
It means you can ensure you microchip any animals in your care as soon as they are old enough and avoid the fees associated with a vet visit. If you’re looking for someone to microchip your pet, you should ask them to show you their training certificate before you go ahead.
