Cat chipping, an obligation not respected enough in France

Only half of the approximately 17 million domestic cats in France are identified - by a microchip or a tattoo - even though this marking is mandatory, as it is for dogs and even for pet ferrets.

"We still have an identification rate that is really too low" for cats "even though it is a regulatory requirement," lamented Cécile Gardino, veterinarian and head of data analysis for the company Ingenium Animalis, which manages the national I-CAD (identification of domestic carnivores) file, under delegation from the Ministry of Agriculture, during a press conference on Thursday.

As of December 31, 2024, 9.5 million dogs, 8.6 million cats, and 17,636 ferrets were registered in this registry and considered to be still alive. Keeping an unidentified dog or cat born after January 1, 2012, can be punished by a fine of 750 euros.

"We're around 50% of cats identified, so there's still significant room for improvement." For comparison, "we consider that 90% of dogs are identified in France," she emphasized.

The I-CAD file - presented as the largest database on this topic on a European scale - makes it possible to identify the general population of cats, dogs and ferrets in France, to ensure health surveillance and to combat trafficking, theft and abandonment.

And this traceability, essential for taking out insurance or traveling abroad with your pet, also allows "people who have lost their pet to find it more easily," explained Cécile Gardino.

"It is really essential that the identification of cats" is carried out properly, because "76% of animals reported lost are cats," she insisted.

To raise awareness among owners, breeders and veterinarians about the inadequacy of identification of domestic felines, this theme will be at the heart of the seventh edition of "Identification Week", organized by the I-CAD from June 16 to 22.

Pet identification allows them to be assigned a unique number, either by implanting a microchip under the skin or, more rarely, by tattooing them. This number is recorded in the I-CAD file along with the name and address of their owner.