Cambridge MP, Daniel Zeichner, is encouraging local pet owners to get their animals microchipped following a visit to the Blue Cross rehoming centre in Cambridge today.

The Blue Cross rehoming centre on Garlic Row has helped over 270 cats and kittens so far this year. 65 per cent of these were not microchipped, making it almost impossible for the charity to reunite them with their owners. 

During his visit, the Labour MP for Cambridge met some of the charity’s feline residents looking for loving new homes, including Swift, who arrived as a stray. Because he did not have a microchip, Blue Cross could not find his family.

Blue Cross microchips all of the pets it rehomes and is also reminding people to keep their contact details up-to-date should they move house or change phone numbers.

To help encourage local pet owners to get their cats and dogs microchipped, Blue Cross offers free microchipping days at its rehoming centre which is open to all Cambridge residents. 

Daniel Zeichner said: “I really enjoyed the visit, and in particular meeting Swift who I home finds a purr-fect new home soon. As a nation of animal lovers, we all want a quick and successful reunion should our pets go missing but sadly without a microchip you run the risk of never seeing your pet again if they get lost. That’s why I’m delighted to help spread the word to Cambridge pet owners about Blue Cross’s free microchipping service.”

Alan Maskell, Centre Manager at Blue Cross in Cambridge, added: “Microchipping your pet gives them the best chance of being identified and returned to you if they become lost or stolen. We believe that many of the cats that come into us as strays are much-loved family pets, but because they are not microchipped, or have out of date contact details on their chip, it’s almost impossible for us to find their owner.”

The Blue Cross Cambridge free microchipping days take place on the third Sunday of the month for cats and the third Thursday of the month for dogs. All microchipping days take place from 10am to 3pm and no appointment is needed.