Switzerland should not introduce a nationwide mandatory microchip scheme for cats. On Tuesday, the House of Representatives rejected such an idea by 108 votes to 80. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox More than 10,000 cats go missing every year. Lost cats often have to spend many months in an animal shelter, while their owners desperately search for them, explained Green parliamentarian Meret Schneider, who filed the microchip motion. She highlighted the problem of abandoned cats once they are no longer "small and cute". These cats start to roam and reproduce, or remain in shelters. This problem could easily be solved, said Schneider. Unlike dog owners, cat owners are not required to register their pets or fit them with a microchip, even though cats are just as much pets as dogs. Schneider argues that there are several advantages to this practice. Cat owners could be contacted immediately if their pet were found, and local authorities could better manage ...
