Cat microchipping to become compulsory as pet thefts soar

ALL 10million cats in the UK are to be microchipped by law after thefts surged by 12.3 per cent during the pandemic, The Daily Telegraph has learnt.

Police figures show the number of cats being stolen has risen nearly threefold in five years as the value of the most expensive breeds has surged to £2,000.

Owners will be required to microchip their cats, as dogs already are, so they can be tracked and identified if stolen and resold, with fines of up to £500 for people who fail to do so.

The move is expected to be part of a package of measures put forward by a ministerial task force – set up by Robert Buckland, the Justice Secretary, and involving Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, and George Eustice, the Environment Secretary – to combat the growing black market in stolen pets.

Dog theft is also up by a fifth in a year, as more than two million people bought pets for the first time in the pandemic.

Ministers are considering a ban on cash purchases of pets to stamp out black market sales.

Thieves could also face tougher sentences as courts get powers to give more weight to the emotional impact of pet theft on owners.