So your cat now has a microchip, either from a vet, breeder or animal shelter, but now what? The next crucial step (yes, absolutely crucial), is to register their microchip with your contact information so if they’re ever lost they can be recovered to you. Otherwise a chip is just a chip, and like putting a blank dog tag on a dog’s collar, won’t do you any good.
No one wants to think of the possibility of losing their feline friend and having to hang those “Lost Cat” posters everywhere, but who hasn’t left the front door open on accident? Chances are, you’ll eventually have family, friends, various guests, or maintenance workers over and they’re a lot less likely to remember to keep windows and doors shut. It just happens…and now is the time to prepare for such a possibility.
Where To Register For Free
Luckily registering your cat’s microchip is easy. There are plenty of online microchip registries to choose from it can almost be overwhelming. But here’s the dirty little secret most of them don’t want you to know…they don’t have to cost any money. That’s right, out of the dozens and dozens of microchip registries out there, at least two of them offer services completely free and are absolutely fantastic. Be wary that some registries claim to be free, but will charge for updates or transfers. Below you’ll find links to free registries where you won’t have to pay a dime to register your cat’s microchip:
Information You Need to Register
The only information you need is your cat’s microchip number. Lost your microchip number? You can either call the vet, animal shelter or breeder who got it implanted or bring your cat into a vet to san the microchip.
Once you have that, you’re off to the races. Register with one of the free registries above and add your contact information.
AAHA Universal Microchip Lookup Tool
Once you’ve registered, you should be able to find your cat’s information by searching the AAHA Universal Microchip Lookup Tool. Keep in mind that if you just registered it make take a few hours or days for the information to refresh in the database and become available.
Information you’ll find in the lookup tool includes the name of the microchip registry, your contact information and when it was last updated.
Be sure to keep your contact information up to date if you ever move or change numbers.
