Cat microchipping law: Leeds Holly House Vets on why it's so important

The black and white cat was left with his pelvis shattered by the impact, but even though the team at Holly House Vets in Leeds were able to help with extensive delicate surgery, the lack of a microchip meant they couldn’t reunite him with an owner.

Now, with microchipping of all cats over the age of 20 weeks set to be a legal requirement this summer, Amelia Battersby, head of surgery at the practice – which has clinics and a vet hospital - is hoping to see fewer cases that don’t end with a happy reunion.

“We called him Rudy and it’s one of those cases I’ll never forget,” said cat lover Amelia, who has additional qualifications in surgery and sees many of the most seriously injured cats at the big hospital.

“He was a lovely boy who was brought in by a member of the public after he had been in a very bad accident.

“He didn’t have a microchip and although we put pleas online and put up posters, we just couldn’t trace his owner.”

Special additional support from Holly House meant that Amelia was able to repair Rudy’s pelvis with plates, screws and pins. And after extensive rehabilitation by the nurses, he was rehomed through Keighley-based Yorkshire Cat Rescue.

“The latest update is that he’s really happy and it’s great that we were able to put him together and send him on his way to recovery,” said Amelia, who lives in North Yorkshire.

“This is where microchipping is really vital. Thanks to the practice, in this case I was able to do the surgery, but often until we find an owner to give them options and get permission to go ahead, I can only really provide emergency care.

“So, microchipping can make a massive difference for the cat.”

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There are more than nine million cats in England, with around a quarter unchipped, says the practice.

It will become compulsory from June 10 this year and owners found not to have microchipped their cat will have 21 days to have one implanted or face a fine of up to £500.

Holly House Vets is part of a UK-wide network of veterinary practices offering Pet Health Club, a preventative healthcare plan that includes microchipping for all cat owners as part of its benefits.

“No one really intends not to microchip,” said Amelia. “There is so much to think about with a kitten, it just gets missed.

“With all the overload of information, the benefit of Pet Health Club is that it lets us take care of a lot of that for owners.

“We know everything they need, including microchipping, and we can guide owners through it all.”

Amelia has been a vet for 12 years and, having worked at practices all over Yorkshire, she has been at Holly House for the past four years.

She graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in 2012 and spent the first six years of her career working in small animal practice in Derbyshire before moving up to Yorkshire.

She then became a locum vet and worked in a large number of practices across the North of England before deciding to become a permanent member of the Holly House team, based in Moortown, in 2020.

Amelia completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Small Animal Surgery in 2022 and took on the role of head of surgery shortly afterwards.

She admits she used to be more of a dog person, but her veterinary work has made Amelia really love cats.

“I’ve come to appreciate their personality and just how resilient they are,” said Amelia. “They have a really strong survival instinct. Even when they come in after very bad road traffic accidents, they just make the most if it and get on with it.”

“We had one who fell out of a window three floors up, turned himself round in mid-air and landed on his feet. He broke the bones in his feet, but we managed to put them back together.”

“He was incredibly lucky to survive, and he made such a good recovery the owner said he was soon getting back to causing trouble.

“Cats really are quite remarkable. I love them and spend as much time as I can cuddling them at work.”

Holly House Vets is fully set up to make a vet visit as stress-free as possible for cats.

It’s a cat-friendly clinic, having been assessed externally as having knowledge, understanding and facilities to promote cat welfare to a high level, they say.

There are cat-only areas of the waiting room, calming sprays and blankets to put over the boxes. The cat ward is also set up so they can’t see each other and don’t get stressed.

Amelia has advice for owners bring their cats in for microchipping.

“Cat baskets are often stressful because it only comes out when they go to the vets, so let the cat go in and get familiar with it in advance,” said Amelia.

“By the time you come, you want the cat to feel like it’s a normal part of its furniture. So, when I see it then it’s already relaxed.”

“We love using food as it helps form a bond, so bring a bit of something they really like. Some kittens are so busy eating, they don’t even notice the microchip going in.”

She adds: “The microchipping is really very similar to a vaccination injection, just a slightly bigger needle.

“It’s over in seconds and the benefits last a lifetime.

“Being able to phone owners and see them happily reunited always leave the whole team here with such a smile on our faces.

“We’ve even had people who have lost cats and then moved to other counties. We’ve been able to call a year a later and they come and get the cat they thought they’d never see again.

“That sort of thing is what we do the job for.”