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How do I register and check my cat's microchip?

Register the chip number with a microchip registry under your own current contact details, then verify it by running the number through the free AAHA Universal Pet Microchip Lookup to confirm which registry holds it, and contact that registry to make sure the record is in your name.Professional guidance

A microchip only works if it is registered with correct, current contact information; the chip itself just stores an ID number. After adopting, do not assume the shelter's registration lists you, confirm the record points to your phone and address, because the top reason microchipped pets are not reunited is an out-of-date or wrong number in the registry.

Applies to: Any owner of a microchipped cat, especially right after adopting or buying, or after moving or changing your phone number. A microchip is permanent ID that supplements, and does not replace, a collar and visible tag.

Steps

Step 1: Get your cat's microchip numberProfessional guidance
Find the 9-, 10-, or 15-digit chip number on your adoption or veterinary paperwork, or have any vet or shelter scan the cat to read it. The chip contains only this ID number, so everything depends on linking that number to you in a registry.
  • Look for the number on adoption records, the vet's file, or the microchip certificate
  • If you have no paperwork, ask a vet or shelter to scan the cat for free
  • Write the number down; you will need it to register and to look it up
Step 2: Register the number in your own nameProfessional guidance
Register the chip with a microchip registry and enter your current phone, address, and email. Registration is what makes the chip useful; a shelter or breeder may have chipped the cat, but the record must ultimately carry your contact details.
  • Enter a current primary phone number plus a backup contact
  • Keep the record updated whenever you move or change your number
  • Remember the microchip backs up, but does not replace, a collar and ID tag
Step 3: Verify with the AAHA Universal Pet Microchip LookupFact
Go to the free AAHA Universal Pet Microchip Lookup and enter the chip number. It searches participating registries and tells you which registry or registries the chip is enrolled on, with the most recently updated first, so you can confirm the chip is actually registered somewhere.
  • The tool shows which registries hold the chip and their contact info, not your personal details
  • For privacy it never displays owner contact information to the searcher
  • It is a lookup only; you cannot register or update a chip through it
Step 4: Confirm the record is truly yoursProfessional guidance
Once the lookup shows which registry holds the chip, contact that registry directly to confirm the record lists you as the owner with current details, not the shelter, breeder, or a previous owner. Update or transfer it into your name if it does not.
  • Contact the named registry to verify the owner on file is you
  • Transfer the record from the shelter or previous owner if needed
  • If the lookup finds no registry, register the chip now, since a non-registered chip cannot reunite you

Normal vs keep-watching

Normal: A correctly set-up microchip appears in the AAHA lookup as registered on a specific registry, and that registry's record lists your current phone and address. This is the state you are aiming for and should re-check after any move.

Keep watching: Watch for a chip that the lookup cannot find on any registry, a record still in the shelter's or a previous owner's name, or an old phone number on file, all of which mean the chip would fail to reunite you today.

When to contact a vet. The microchip is an identification and reunion tool, not a health or emergency service; it will not help in a crisis on its own. If your cat is lost right now, also search actively and file reports, and if you find an injured cat with an unknown chip, contact a veterinarian or shelter for care and scanning. For a chip you cannot locate or update, contact your veterinarian or the registry directly.

What changes this answer

  • Adopting from a shelter or breeder often means the initial record is in their name and must be transferred to you
  • Moving or changing your phone number requires updating the registry, or the chip goes stale
  • Some registries do not participate in the universal lookup, so a chip may be registered even if it does not appear there

Common mistakes

  • Assuming a chipped cat is registered to you when the record still names the shelter or breeder
  • Leaving an old phone number on file, the top reason microchipped pets are not returned
  • Thinking the microchip tracks location or replaces a collar and visible ID tag
  • Trying to register through the AAHA lookup, which is a search tool only

Sources

Real questions cat owners ask

  • How do I check if my cat's microchip is registered to me?
  • Does the shelter register the microchip in my name automatically?
  • What is the AAHA Universal Pet Microchip Lookup?
Stores the microchip number and registry in My Cat and flags whether the registration is confirmed in your name with current contact info, prompting a re-check after any address or phone change. Set up your Cat Passport.

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