To highlight the importance of all cat owners ensuring that their much-loved family pets are microchipped, Macclesfield MP, David Rutley, visited the local branch of Cats Protection at Foxwood Farm Cattery, in Lower Withington, ahead of a planned call for evidence on making microchipping compulsory.

David, who is also the Minister for Animal Welfare at the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) was shown around the cattery by representatives from the charity and spoke with a number of its dedicated volunteers about the benefits of cat microchipping. He explained that the Government will launch the call for evidence on compulsory microchipping as soon as possible, as part of Defra’s ongoing drive to improve animal welfare standards.

Microchipping is a safe and permanent method of identification that ensures cherished family pets can be reunited with their owners, should they go missing, and that lost cats are not mistaken as strays. Microchipping also ensures owners can be notified if their cat is injured or sadly dies in a road accident, and Cats Protection encourages local councils to use this technology so that owners are not left worrying about the fate of their beloved pet, in such tragic circumstances.

Cats Protection’s Macclesfield branch is part of a national network of over 250 volunteer-led branches and 36 centres which help around 200,000 cats every year.

Cats Protection’s Advocacy & Government Relations Officer, Madison Rogers, said: “Across the country, Cats Protection has thousands of dedicated volunteers who are responsible for helping give cats a second chance in life. It was great to see the Minister responsible for animal welfare taking such a keen interest in their voluntary work by visiting the team at our Macclesfield Branch. Cats Protection is calling for the compulsory microchipping of owned cats and this visit gave the Minister the chance to hear on-the-ground experiences of volunteers about why microchipping has such a huge positive impact on feline welfare.”

Speaking after his visit, David said, “This visit was a great opportunity to find out more about the benefits of cat owners microchipping their pets and particularly how this has helped reunite lost cats with concerned owners. This will feed into the call for evidence I plan to issue as soon as possible on making cat microchipping compulsory. I was hugely impressed by the work of Cats Protection’s Macclesfield branch, which is run by a dedicated group of volunteers who give up their time to help cats in need.”