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Intro

Microchipping

The Cat Act 2011 (Cat Act) and the Dog Act 1976 (Dog Act) require that cats and dogs are microchipped.

Dogs must be microchipped by the time they reach 3 months of age, while cats are to be microchipped by 6 months of age. Both are to be microchipped when they are transferred to a new owner (no matter what age).

When transferring the ownership of a dog or cat, you should ensure that the details on the microchip have been updated with the new owner’s details.

It is important to note that microchipping a dog or cat does not register them with the local government.

Registration

The Cat Act and the Dog Act require that cats and dogs are registered with the local government where they are ordinarily kept.

Dogs must be registered by 3 months of age, while cats must be registered by 6 months of age. 

Cats and dogs can be registered with their local government yearly, 3 yearly or for their lifetime.

When registering a dog or cat, the owner is to provide the microchip details to the local government.

This information is correct at June 2023.

Related pages

Page reviewed 11 September 2023