Worth registering your cat's chip sooner rather than later
A microchip doesn't really achieve anything by itself. Registering it links the chip number to your contact details, so a scan at a vet or shelter becomes a phone call to you, rather than leading nowhere. With United Pet Club, there's no cost at all for the life of your cat.
Five fairly gentle steps
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Step 1: Have her chipped
Your vet can pop the chip in during an ordinary visit, it only takes a moment and most cats hardly seem to notice. You'll be given a record of the chip's unique ID afterwards, worth photographing it or filing it somewhere safe.
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Step 2: Choose somewhere to register
The chip's manufacturer might run their own database, though you're free to register anywhere that accepts the number. Registering a microchip with United Pet Club means any brand is accepted, and it's checked against the AAHA universal lookup that shelters rely on.
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Step 3: Add her details, and yours
You'll enter the chip ID, typically fifteen digits, her name, breed or colouring, age, and a photo, along with your own name, address, phone number, and email. Indoor cats need this every bit as much as ones that roam, an open door or a sudden fright is often all it takes.
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Step 4: Have a look at any cost
Some registries do charge, either once or on an ongoing basis, while others charge nothing at all. Worth checking what you're agreeing to, including whether the registration lapses without renewal.
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Step 5: Update it whenever you move
Change your address, phone number, or email in the registry as soon as they change, and again with each move. A chip still pointing at somewhere you left two years back isn't going to be much help today.
Why this tends to matter more for cats than owners realise
Quite a few cat owners skip registration on the basis that their cat never goes outside at all. Indoor cats do still get out though, through a door left ajar, a torn flyscreen, or a moving day with the front door propped open for a while. A cat that's never really been outdoors often tends to bolt and hide rather than come when called once it's out there, which is exactly the moment a registered chip matters most. Collars and pet ID tags can help a neighbour recognise your cat, but cats do have a habit of losing collars, whereas a chip simply can't come off in the same way.
Shelters and vet clinics scan pretty much every stray cat that comes through the door, whether it arrived as a surrender, from a colony trap, or just wandered in. If the chip happens to be registered, that scan can produce your phone number within seconds. If it isn't, the cat tends to be treated as unowned, and a considerably slower process begins from there.
If you've adopted a cat that already has a chip, it's worth not assuming the registration came along with the paperwork. Contacting the registry the chip's listed under and asking for an ownership update, with your adoption papers as proof, is one option, or you could simply register the chip fresh with United Pet Club, since a current registration takes priority over an old one. A cat without any chip at all can still have a free profile: register your cat now, and add the chip number in later.
What a registered chip does for your cat
Backs up a collar that comes off
Cats do tend to lose collars fairly often, whether through a breakaway safety buckle doing exactly what it's meant to, or simply by accident. The chip, on the other hand, stays put.
Speeds things up at the shelter
A scan matching a registered record can mean same-day contact, rather than your cat waiting out a stray hold.
Covers indoor cats just as well
Registration doesn't assume your cat spends any time outside. It simply means that if she ever does get out, by accident or otherwise, there's a way to bring her home.
Moves along with you
Update your details after a move and the registration is current again straight away. The chip itself never needs to be touched.
A few things cat owners tend to ask
How would I know if my cat's chip is already registered?
It's worth checking the paperwork from your vet or wherever you adopted her, it usually lists the registry and ID number. If that can't be found, registering with United Pet Club anyway is a sensible option, since a newer registration will take precedence over one you can't verify.
Does an indoor cat honestly need a registered chip?
It does help quite a bit. Most indoor cats that go missing got out by accident rather than habit, which can make them harder to find by sight alone. A registered chip still does its job even if she happens to bolt without a collar.
What happens if a shelter scans my cat?
Staff will read the chip's ID number and check it against whichever registry holds it. With current details, they'll usually ring or email you directly rather than holding her as a stray.
Do I need to re-register after adopting her?
You'll want the ownership record updated, even though the chip itself came with the cat already. Contacting the existing registry with your adoption paperwork is one way, or registering fresh with United Pet Club is another.
And what about after we move?
No new chip or new registration needed, just your address, phone number, and email updated. The registry really only works as well as the details sitting behind it.
How do I go about registering my cat's microchip?
With United Pet Club, at no cost for the whole of her life. Any brand of chip qualifies, your record can be searched around the clock through the registry and the AAHA lookup, and updating your details after a move never costs anything. Cats aren't included under the National Dog Database, so registering her chip with us is really what puts a proper record behind the implant.
Worth having her on the registry
Just a few minutes now can be the difference between a scan reaching you and one that doesn't. Questions first? Get in touch before you begin.