Law on registration of cats

Enlist a new law that has come into force since the beginning of 2023, so you as a cat owner must register your cat. This has been true for dogs for a long time and now the same applies to cats.

What does it mean to register your dog or cat?

Registering your dog or cat is exactly as it sounds, that you register your pet. This is done at the Swedish Agricultural Agency and is for keeping track of all the dogs and cats in our society. But also extra important as you can identify the dog or cat if it were to run away, which in turn leads to you probably getting it home again if it is found.

How do I register my cat?

You register your dog or cat with the Swedish Board of Agriculture, which you can do on their website. Before you register your cat, it needs to be ID marked. This is done with chip marking or tattooing and costs a few hundred Swedish kroner.

Registering your cat with the Swedish Board of Agriculture today costs SEK 40 per cat if done online. If you prefer to do it with regular forms, it costs SEK 100 per cat today.

Do kittens have to be registered?

Yes, kittens must be registered before they are 4 months old.

Do all cats have to be registered?

All cats do not need to be registered, there are exceptions. However, to point out, it does not matter if it is an indoor or outdoor cat, the same conditions apply to both. 

The cats that do not need to be registered are those born before January 1, 2008, and these do not need to be tagged either. However, you can still do this if you wish.

How do you mark your cat?

You mark your cat with antigen chip marking or a tattoo in the ear. This is done at a veterinarian or ID blacksmith. A veterinarian can both chip and tattoo your cat, while an ID tagger with approved training is not allowed to tattoo.

It is also important to bear in mind that it may sometimes be necessary to update your cat's markings. A tattoo wears out over time and if it can no longer be clearly understood, it is time to redo it. It can also happen that the cat's chip becomes unreadable and then also needs to be updated.