The microchip, generally the size of a grain of rice, is inserted under the skin. Each has a unique serial number that the keeper must register on a database. The quick procedure should only be carried out by trained professionals such as vets or rescue organisations.

The aim of the legislation is to make it easier for lost or stray cats to be reunited with their owners and returned home safely. When an animal is found, the microchip can be read with a scanner and the registered keeper identified on a database so the pet can quickly be reunited with them.

Microchipping is already compulsory for dogs and is proven to be the most effective method for identifying lost pets, with microchipped dogs more than twice as likely to be reunited with their owner.

The legislation also applies to those cats that usually only stay indoors, but is not compulsory for free-living cats that live with little or no human interaction or dependency, such as farm, feral or community cats.

There are special microchip cat flaps, which scan the cat’s chip and will only allow your cat to enter your home.Some automatic food dispensers also work off the cat’s microchip, ensuring that multi-pet households all get their own meal.

It is not yet a legal requirement to microchip cats in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.