Owner Guides
When Should You Microchip a Kitten?
Published 21 Oct 2026Updated 21 Oct 20263 min read
In England a kitten must be microchipped by 20 weeks old. Here is why earlier is usually better, who is responsible when a kitten changes hands, and what to do once it's chipped.
The legal answer: by 20 weeks old
Since 10 June 2024, every kitten in England must be microchipped by the time it is 20 weeks old, and its keeper's details must be registered on a microchip database that meets government requirements.
Twenty weeks is the deadline, not the starting point. The law sets no minimum age, so a kitten can be chipped well before then. A vet can certify a kitten as unfit to be chipped yet for health reasons, and the chip is done once it is well enough.
Who is responsible: whoever has the kitten at 20 weeks
Unlike puppies, kittens don't have to be chipped before they leave the breeder, and most go to their new homes well before 20 weeks. The duty sits with whoever is the kitten's keeper when it reaches that age. If your kitten comes home unchipped, getting it done is down to you.
If you are collecting a kitten, ask whether it has been chipped. If it has, get the chip number in writing and the name of the database it is registered with.
Why earlier is usually better
The first weeks in a new home are when a kitten is most likely to get out: doors it doesn't know, visitors coming and going, and no idea yet where home is. A kitten that slips out then is often more lost than an older cat would be. Chipping early means the chip is already in place for those weeks.
It is also easier on everyone. A young kitten is small, easy to hold and usually more curious than worried, and there is no carrier or car involved if the visit is at home.
If your kitten is being neutered
Some owners have the chip put in at the vet while their kitten is being neutered. That works if the neutering is booked before 20 weeks. If it isn't, don't wait for it: the deadline applies either way.
Two kittens, or a whole litter
Kittens often come home in pairs. On a home visit it is £40 for one kitten and £50 for two chipped on the same visit.
For breeders, four or more are £15 each, so the whole litter can be chipped in one visit with every chip number recorded against the right kitten. Each buyer then leaves with a chip in place and a number to register.
After the chip: put the record in your name
If the breeder had the kitten chipped, transfer the record into your name once it is home. Some databases charge for the transfer. It is still worth doing straight away: until you do, a scanned kitten leads back to the breeder, not to you.
If you had it chipped yourself, read the record back slowly once it is set up. A typo in a phone number or postcode won't show up until the day the chip is scanned.
Book kitten microchipping at home
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Book kitten microchippingFrequently asked questions
The law sets no minimum age, only the deadline: chipped by 20 weeks old. A kitten that is unwell can wait if a vet certifies it isn't fit to be chipped yet.
Not if they leave before 20 weeks old. Unlike puppies, the law lets the new owner get a kitten chipped by then. Chipping before they leave still means each new owner starts with a chip in place and a number to register.
Yes. The law covers indoor cats in the same way as outdoor cats. Our guide to the cat microchipping rules in England has the detail.
The implant takes a few seconds, and most pets react about as much as they would to a vaccination. There's more detail in our guide on what to expect at the appointment.