Freedom of Information Request for cats
Case reference FOI2026/00864
Received 22 April 2026
Published 19 May 2026
Request
I am writing under the Freedom of Information Act, to ask for the following:
1. The number of stray cats collected by the Authority in the calendar year 2025.
2. The number of those stray cats that were microchipped in accordance with the regulations (The Microchipping of Cats and Dogs (England) Regulations 2023).
3. The number of deceased cats collected by the Authority in the calendar year 2025.
4. The number of those deceased cats whose owners were identified from a microchip.
5. Are council tenants required to microchip their pet cats as part of their tenancy agreement? Y/N
6. The number of council tenants currently registered as owning a microchipped cat.
7. The number of 21-day enforcement notices issued for failing to microchip a cat in the calendar year 2025.
8. The number of cats handed over to the Authority for rescue or rehoming in 2025.
Response
Thank you for your request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Please find the answers to your queries below:
I am writing under the Freedom of Information Act, to ask for the following:
1. The number of stray cats collected by the Authority in the calendar year 2025.
Zero.
2. The number of those stray cats that were microchipped in accordance with the regulations (The Microchipping of Cats and Dogs (England) Regulations 2023).
N/A.
3. The number of deceased cats collected by the Authority in the calendar year 2025.
Although all deceased cats are scanned and owners called where applicable, unfortunately no information is held or retained regarding the numbers involved.
4. The number of those deceased cats whose owners were identified from a microchip.
N/A – as per above answer.
5. Are council tenants required to microchip their pet cats as part of their tenancy agreement? Y/N
No.
6. The number of council tenants currently registered as owning a microchipped cat.
This information is not known.
7. The number of 21-day enforcement notices issued for failing to microchip a cat in the calendar year 2025.
Zero.
8. The number of cats handed over to the Authority for rescue or rehoming in 2025.
Zero.
Yours sincerely,
FOI Team
Guildford Borough Council
Documents
This is Guildford Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.
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