Where's the title transfer form for this cat?

December 23, 2008 5:32 PM

If I adopt a cat that has an implanted microchip directly from the current owner, how do I get the name and address in the registration database updated to reflect me as the new owner?

I'm think I'm going to be adopting a new kitty soon (yay). This would be directly from the current owner, not from a shelter. But kitty came originally from a shelter, and was there implanted with a microchip. I don't know anything about the chip type, and I don't think the current owner does either — except that it was an SPCA shelter, if that helps.

So: what do I need to do, to have the information in the database updated to show my name and address instead of the previous owner's? Do I need to go to the shelter where the cat was originally adopted from, or can any veterinarian or shelter that participates the chip system update records? And what sort of proof do I need to have them make the change — do I need to get a bill of sale or some other form of written transfer agreement?

This can't be that uncommon, but Google isn't turning up anything.

posted by Kadin2048 to pets & animals (9 comments total)

Ask the person you're adopting the cat from the name of the shelter that they got the cat from, and call them and ask.
posted by thebazilist at 5:38 PM on December 23, 2008

Vets can usually do this, I think. Tell the cat's current owner to call their vet and ask about it. (You and current owner may have to visit the vet together with the cat.)
posted by Pallas Athena at 5:48 PM on December 23, 2008

You need to know the database on which they are registered -- ask the owner (or look at their rescue collar tag if they have one). From petplace.com
In the United States, there are currently two active suppliers of microchips. American Veterinary Identification Devices (AVID®) and HomeAgain®. Each has unique codes and each support their own databases.
AVID®. Visit them at www.avidid.com or call 1-800-336-AVID.
HomeAgain®. Visit them at http://www.homeagainid.com/ or call the HomeAgain Pet Recovery Service at 1-866-PET-ID24 (1-866-738-4324).
Your vet will be able to scan the microchip if the current owner does not know which system was used. Then you call the appropriate registration company or re-register them via the website,
posted by Susurration at 6:11 PM on December 23, 2008

When I got my macaw I had her microchipped with an AVID chip. The certificate for her chip came with a form to transfer the ownership to a new name and that could then be submitted to the company. It may be as easy as that.
posted by fogonlittlecatfeet at 7:02 PM on December 23, 2008

A vet's office will know by the number what type of chip it is in most cases (in general, American AVID chip numbers are nine characters long, and are all numbers, other chip numbers are longer, and some have letters), then you have to contact the chip manufacturer to change the contact information. Any vet's office, rescue or shelter should have a scanner that will read both AVID and Home Again chips (many American scanners do not read the ISO chips which are the standard for the rest of the world, mind you). That said, the SPCA paperwork will have the chip number on it, if the current owner still has it, most SPCA's use the microchip number as the animal's tracking/ID number.

I don't know where you are, but I believe SPCA's generally use Home Again chips (this is certainly the case in Western New York, anyway), Home Again numbers are longer than AVID and normally have a letter as the first or second character. Make sure you have some kind of signed paperwork transferring ownership to you, which includes the microchip number.
posted by biscotti at 8:03 PM on December 23, 2008

When we did this with our dog our vet scanned the chip, wrote down the number, and gave us AVID's phone number. One phone call and a fee ($25?) was all it took. We got a verification letter in the mail a couple of weeks later.

(He had been a stray, adopted through a shelter, and the former owner's information was not required to do this.)
posted by mmoncur at 1:23 AM on December 24, 2008

Our rescue dog had a chip registered to the foster family; our vet scanned the chip and gave us paperwork to fax to the organization with the database. We are in Greece, but I'm sure your vet can help you out with this in some similar fashion.
posted by taz at 9:24 AM on December 24, 2008

Very helpful, everyone!

I will try to contact the previous owner to see if they still have any of the paperwork (my gut feeling is 'no') and if not will contact the originating shelter. It sounds like the chip is most likely a 'Home Again' (the cat came from a shelter in Upstate NY).

This is all being made slightly more complex by the fact that I'm not meeting the previous owner in person; there's an intermediary friend and several hundred miles involved.
posted by Kadin2048 at 11:29 AM on December 24, 2008

Just as a final followup, we took him to the vet last week and she scanned him and gave us the ID number. I haven't done it yet, but allegedly with nothing more than that number, I can call up the company that maintains the chip registry and change the information in the database.

Also, the chip is one of the newer "international" ones that are readable (according to the vet) both here in the US, and also in Europe ... so if we ever need to travel, kitty is all set to go.
posted by Kadin2048 at 10:11 AM on February 9