The Ministry of Agriculture announced yesterday that all cat owners in Taiwan will soon be required to register their pets and have them implanted with microchips as part of updated pet management regulations set to take effect in the coming months.
Owners will have a one-year grace period, until September next year, to comply with the new rules, the ministry stated.
This initiative follows the ministry’s previous mandate for dog registration, extending similar requirements to cat owners under the newly revised management regulations, which will now apply to both dogs and cats.
Growth in Pet Population
According to the ministry, the pet population has seen significant growth in recent years. In 2023, the number of pet dogs increased by 19 percent from 2020, reaching 1.48 million. Meanwhile, the number of pet cats surged by 50 percent to 1.31 million.
“The updated regulations will allow the ministry to better manage the increasing population of pet cats across the nation, as many cat owners have already expressed interest in registering their pets,” said Chen Chung-hsin (陳中興), Deputy Director of the Ministry of Agriculture’s Department of Animal Welfare.
Implementation Timeline and Penalties
Chen explained that the new rules are currently subject to a 30-day public review period and are expected to be enforced by October. Cat owners will then have until September next year to register their pets with local animal protection agencies.
Failure to register within the grace period could result in penalties, Chen warned. Under the Animal Protection Act (動物保護法), pet owners who do not comply with registration regulations, including the proper transfer of ownership or reporting of births and deaths, may face fines ranging from NT$3,000 to NT$15,000.
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