In a short debate in the Lords on 19th April - in which Peers debated the regulations being introduced to make microchipping of cats compulsory by summer 2024 - Guy (who is a Patron of International Cat Care) welcomed the Government's action and said: "25% of owned cats in the UK are not microchipped, leading to huge problems with stray cats, many of which end up being rehomed needlessly when they get lost. It will also help with those tragic occasions when cats are run down or grievously injured in some other way, giving owners much anguish, as they worry about the fate of a beloved pet. Microchipping will help enormously with that."

He praised the work of Cats Protection "which has campaigned vigorously on this issue and deserves great credit for sticking to it— with many other charities—to achieve this important change in the law." He noted that "there is a cost to microchipping, which may be an added burden for many struggling with bills at this time. I am delighted that, from this summer, Cats Protection will expand its subsidised scheme to assist people on low incomes to get their cats neutered and microchipped."

He noted that "in the world of animal welfare, there is always another challenge," and said that "this important hurdle having been crossed, we still have the issue of pet smuggling and pet theft to deal with. ... I hope that it will not be too long before we see the return of the Kept Animals Bill, which will deal with some of those issues."

You can read the full text of the debate here.

ENDS