Switzerland considers mandatory microchipping for cats

The Swiss federal authorities are reviewing whether owners must ensure that their cat is microchipped. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO) believes that a national solution would be welcome and offer numerous advantages in terms of animal welfare, it told the Keystone-ATS news agency on Friday, following a Blick newspaper report on this issue. A national solution would be a good basis for the application of Swiss animal protection legislation, it said. Owners would therefore be made more responsible, FSVO says. The need to go to the vet would also make them more aware of health issues. In addition, a national microchip solution would provide a basis for studies to measure the impact of cats on biodiversity, says the FSVO. According to the Swiss Cat Friends Association (Katzenfreunde Schweiz), there are between 100,000 and 300,000 feral cats living in Switzerland. Birds, reptiles and insects are victims of ...