| In short : Identification by microchip is mandatory in France for all cats born after January 1, 2012. However, a chip whose coordinates are not up to date considerably reduces the chances of finding your pet if it gets lost. Here are the necessary steps to follow: – Check the chip number: If you are unfamiliar with your cat’s 15-digit identification number, a veterinarian, shelter, or association can read it for free using a chip reader. – Go to Li-CAD: To view and modify your animal’s file, log on to the official Li-Cad website or the application filapat using the ID and password on his tattoo or chip card. – Update contact details: In the event of a move, change of telephone number or departure on vacation, update your data instantly and for free online. – Declare the loss of documents: If you have lost the ID card (essential to obtain the password), only a veterinarian will be able to apply for a duplicate to LI-CAD after checking the identity of the cat. |
Did you know that an identified and up-to-date contact cat has about 80% more chance of being found by its owners in case of loss? Conversely, thousands of animals find themselves each year in a pound or in a refuge without being able to contact their masters, simply because the telephone number recorded on the national file of Li-Cad (identification of certain pets) is no longer assigned.
Whether you’ve just moved, lost your cat’s official papers or just want to check that everything is in order, updating this information is an elementary act of protection. Here is the complete method to regularize the situation of your companion.
Step 1: Find your cat’s identification number
For any administrative procedure related to your animal, its unique 15-digit number is your entry key.
If you still have his documents
The number is easily found on:
- Your cat’s health book or passport (on the official sticker affixed by the veterinarian).
- the Li-CAD identification card (the official component you received after the chip is implanted).
- The adoption contract if your cat comes from a breeding or shelter.
If you lost all the papers
No panic. The microchip implanted under the cat’s skin (usually on the left side of the neck) contains this number in an unalterable way.
The solution: Go to at isn’t any veterinarian, animal shelter or police station/gendarmerie equipped. They will pass a chip reader over your cat’s neck and give you his number instantly and free of charge.
Step 2: Connect to I-CAD Holder Space
Once the 15-digit number is in hand, go to the official LI-CAD website (www.i-cad.fr) or download the official mobile application dedicated to the search for lost animals: filapat.
To log in, the system will ask you for two information:
- The identification number (the 15 digits of the chip).
- the animal password (composed of 6 characters, letters or numbers).
Where to find the password? It is inscribed at the top left of the upper part of your cat’s identification card (received by mail at the time of identification).
The critical case: “I have the chip number but I lost the password”
If you no longer have the paper identification card, you cannot invent or guess the password. LI-CAD does not transmit it by telephone for reasons of safety and ownership of the animal.
- The duplicate procedure: You must go to your veterinarian with your cat. The professional will do a reading of the chip to certify that the animal is present with you, then will complete a form of Identification card duplicate request. This paper approach is chargeable (about ten euros due to Li-CAD for the edition of the new card). You will receive the new card with the password by post within a few weeks.
Step 3: Edit and update contact details
Once connected to your “holder space”, you have direct access to your cat’s biological identity card. It is crucial to check the following information:
- Your phone numbers: This is the most important data! Enter a mobile number and a landline number.
- Your postal address: essential in the event of a move.
- The email address: To receive notifications and alerts from Li-CAD.
- Temporary addresses: If you are going on vacation or on the go with your cat for more than a few weeks, Li-CAD allows you to configure a “temporary address” with start and end dates. If the cat escapes at your vacation spot, the authorities will immediately know where to find you.
Summary table: The steps according to your situation
| your situation | problem encountered | Action to take |
| Lost papers, unknown number | impossible to identify. | Free reading of the chip at a veterinarian or a shelter. |
| Known number, lost password | Blocked access to the I-CAD site. | Request an official card duplicate via your veterinarian (paying). |
| Phone/address change | outdated coordinates. | connection to i-cad.fr => Immediate and free online modification. |
| Departure on vacation with the cat | risk of loss outside the home. | Enable option “Temporary Address” on your personal space. |
| Change of ownership | The former master must give up the cat. | Fill the lower part of the paper identification card (“declaration of assignment”) and send it to LI-CAD. |
FAQ: Your Frequently Asked Questions
Can a cat’s microchip “wipe out” or get lost in its body?
An electronic chip cannot be erased, never shuts off and has no battery (it is activated by the radio waves of the player). On the other hand, in very rare cases in young growing cats, the flea may slightly “migrate” under the skin, for example descending towards the shoulder or the chest. If a veterinarian does not find the flea at the neck, he will sweep the whole animal’s body with his reader to locate it.
What should I do if my cat escaped and my contact details are not up to date?
Log in to your I-CAD space to update your details. If you do not have your access, immediately contact the veterinarians close to the disappearance place, the local shelters (spa, local associations) and the pound to give them your cat’s chip number and your actual contact details. Also report the loss of the animal on community research platforms (Filalapat, Buzz My Pet, etc.).
Does LI-CAD charge for changes in address?
No, all changes to contact details (changing phone, email address or home) made directly by you online on your I-CAD personal space are Totally free. Only the reissue of a misplaced paper card duplicate is subject to administrative pricing.